When Midnight Calls
by Mrs. Agget
Summary: The second installment of the Eternal Sunset series.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Here we are, as promised! I am so happy y'all are continuing with me! Ready for a wild ride? :D**

**Thank you to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading, and Corey, for betaing. They are awesome, and the time they spend on my work is greatly appreciated!**

**I do not own Twilight.**

**EPOV**

"Happy birthday, babe," came the smooth voice of my boyfriend in my ear while I opened the passenger door of his car. Summer was over and the new school year, our senior year, was just starting.

The time off from school had been pretty good. I spent a lot of time at the Cullens, and Bella had started spending time at the reservation with Jacob, so Jasper was able to come over fairly often. Thankfully, the house didn't smell too much like a dog anymore, according to Jasper, and he seemed relieved by it. I never noticed anything out of the ordinary. It only ever smelled like my house to me.

Jasper and I had this one amazing day behind my house in the clearing just reserved for us. That was when I found out why vampires don't go out in the sunlight.

The day started out normal. Being Forks, it was cloudy, so we didn't think anything of going outside. Once in the clearing, we threw around a baseball and talked and laughed. Then, Jasper stood stone still as the clouds parted and the whole meadow was bathed in bright sunlight.

I shielded my eyes for a moment, then realised Jasper was staring at me nervously. It was then I noticed it. His skin was different. It seemed almost like it was luminescent.

Slowly, I walked toward him and noticed that the sun shining on his skin made it look like he had glitter all over him. Only, it didn't look quite like glitter. The sparkling was_ under_ his skin. As strange as it was, and even though it was something I had never known about him, he was still breathtaking.

Raising my hand, I trailed my fingers down his cheek, and his expression relaxed.

I was stunned silent, in complete awe at the way Jasper looked. Just when I thought I knew all there was about him, he surprised me with yet another endearing trait. I felt like my eyes couldn't get enough, and finally, I found my voice.

"Jasper, you look incredible in the sunlight," I whispered, and took his mouth in a long, slow kiss.

He made a soft noise and gripped my upper arms gently, ending the kiss.

"Thank you," he said. "I was worried what you might think when you saw me like this."

"Now you know," I smirked and backed away from him, once again picking up the baseball. "Come on, love. Show me what you got."

I threw the ball to him and he caught it right next to his face, without moving.

"Are you sure you want to tease a glittery, lovestruck vampire?" He asked, raising a brow.

I moved my hands in front of me in a 'come here' gesture. "Bring it."

We spent the rest of that afternoon just playing around, wrestling and teasing, along with an amazing make out session right before it got dark. That would be one of the days I would always remember.

"Edward?" Jasper asked, bringing me out of my memory.

"Huh?" I looked at him stupidly.

"I said, happy birthday, babe," he grinned. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh," I said, feeling my face warm. "Thank you, and I was thinking about that day in the meadow."

Jasper graced me with a big smile and went around to get in the car. Yeah, he knew the one I was talking about.

Senior year was all supposed to be about fun. We were only required to take one class, which was English, and the rest of the day's classes were electives, picked by the students. Naturally, Jasper and I picked the same ones so we'd be together all day. So did Emmett, because he claimed that he had to 'stick with the boys'. Rosalie wasn't too happy about that, but then again, she was never happy about anything. Ever since the incident with the nomads, she was worse.

Over the summer break, every time I was over at their house, Rosalie would make rude comments towards me, which pissed Jasper off. He would then say something to her, and Emmett, being her mate, would intervene. Jasper and Emmett had eventually come to an agreement. As long as Rose kept her mouth shut around me, Jasper wouldn't say anything to her. That didn't stop her scathing looks, though. She gave me plenty of those.

When Jasper and I were parked in our usual spot in the school lot, I took out my schedule and looked it over. Thankfully, English was my first class of the day, and I was happy to get it out of the way; after that was Art, Keyboarding, Technology, and finally Gym. It didn't seem like it would be too bad.

Stuffing the paper into my pocket, I got out of the car and was immediately surrounded by Jasper's family, who were intent on giving me birthday wishes, except Rosalie of course.

The day didn't turn out too bad, until Jasper dropped me off at home. Dad had come home early, because I was informed the night before that the family wanted to have a small birthday thing for me before I went over to Jasper's. Mom told me it would just be my favorite dinner and a cake, but that was fine with me.

Anyway, I walked into the house after school to the sounds of Bella and Mom arguing in the kitchen.

"But Mom, that isn't fair! It's my birthday too!"

"I know, and I already told you, Jacob can come over _after_ your brother leaves to go to Jasper's!"

Bella huffed and stormed out of the room. She made sure to give me a dirty look on her way out. I walked in and went to the fridge for a soda. Mom was standing at the stove, frying chicken.

"Smells good," I commented, and Mom grinned at me.

"You know I always make this for you on your birthday. I already have Bella's Chinese ordered, too."

Leaning against the sink, I took a drink of my soda. "What is her problem today?" I asked.

"She's mad because I won't let Jacob have dinner here with us," Mom answered, not looking up from her cooking. "I told her we will have our family dinner, then her boyfriend can come over."

She looked a bit troubled, so I just had to ask, "Mom, is all of this...too much for you? You know, Jasper and Jacob?"

"You mean what they are?" she asked, moving her eyes to mine.

"Well...yeah," I answered.

"Sometimes I wonder if it is, but then I think of your age. You're eighteen now, son. You can make your own decisions. Also, it is plain to see that Jasper cares deeply for you. I guess what I need to know is if you feel pressured to be with him. Are you happy, son?"

Her eyes searched mine, looking for truth.

"Yeah, Mom. The more time I spend with Jasper, the happier I get. I don't feel pressured to be with him at all. I feel like we are meant to be together, no matter what. Know what I mean?"

My mother's frown faded and she gave me a soft smile.

"I do, and that's all I needed to know. You know you have my blessing with him, right?"

"Thank you," I said quietly, and gave her a hug. I knew it was hard for her to see her kids paired off so quickly, but she had accepted it like a champ.

During dinner, we chatted and ate and were generally having a good time, until Bella had to open her mouth.

"You know, Edward," she said, "it's your fault Jacob couldn't come for dinner."

"How is it my fault?" I asked, setting down my fork.

"Because if he did, your boyfriend would think you smell bad, and he'd bitch at me for it."

"Oh, he would not!" I said, exasperated. I was sick of her blaming everything that didn't go her way on me and Jasper.

"Bella," Dad spoke up, "your mother told you why he couldn't come, so drop it. Now."

"Fine, but one day, Jake's gonna kick Jasper's ass," my sister sneered.

Rather than keep the argument going, I just rolled my eyes at Bella and finished my dinner. I made sure to tell Mom how good it was and how much I appreciated it. She smiled at me and went to get the cake. Dad went to help her, and they walked back in after a few minutes with a big cake lit with eighteen candles. They set it on the table and sang 'Happy Birthday' to us. When they were finished, Bella and I leaned over the table and blew out the candles together.

It may have been silly, for Mom and Dad to sing to us and all, but it made them happy, so I didn't complain. Dad sat back down while Mom cut the cake and gave us each a piece. She had made it herself, and I appreciated the effort.

"Damn, this is good, Mom," I said after taking a big bite.

She grinned at me. "Thank you, Edward."

The doorbell rang then, and Bella took off like she had been shot at. After a minute, she came back pouting.

"It's for you," she said, glaring at me, and then Jasper came into view. He looked fucking incredible, dressed in a maroon shirt, black tie, and black jeans.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Masen," he said, and my parents greeted him warmly.

I took one last big bite of my cake, washed it down with some soda, and hurried to take my dishes into the kitchen. I heard my boyfriend tell Bella "Happy Birthday", and she mumbled out a thank you. I loved the way he reduced her to using manners.

When I went back into the dining room, I hugged my parents and looped my arm through Jasper's. He smiled at me, bade farewell to my parents and Bella, and after agreeing to be back first thing in the morning, we left.

"You look great," I commented as we drove away from my house. He smiled a soft smile.

"Thank you. Alice made us dress up," he said with a chuckle.

Nodding, I laughed with him. Why did that not surprise me?

When we arrived at the Cullens, we got out and went to the door. It was opened by Emmett, who pulled me inside by the arm.

"Come on, man," he said happily. "Everybody's waiting."

He pulled me into the living room, and I was surprised to see every member of the family, including Rosalie, dressed really nice and standing all around. There was a table with a few wrapped gifts on it, and another, smaller one, with a cake.

"You guys didn't have to do this for me," I said, and hugged each one of them in turn.

"Yes, we did," Carlisle laughed. "There was no way Alice would let us say no."

Alice playfully slapped Carlisle on the arm, walked over, and pulled Jasper to stand next to me. She then held up a camera.

"I need to get a picture," she informed us, and Jasper held me close with his nose in the top of my hair. I grinned at Alice and she snapped the picture.

"Now you can open presents!" Alice exclaimed, and handed me a box wrapped in gold and green paper. I turned it over in my hands, a little overwhelmed.

"Really, you shouldn't - "

"Hush," Alice ordered, and I shut up right away. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin what she had worked so hard to do for me.

I studied the box for a moment before unwrapping it carefully. When I saw what was inside, I started shaking my head in disbelief.

"Emmett, you have got to be kidding me! An Xbox? This is way too much!" I exclaimed and looked into Emmett's smiling face.

"No, it's not, bro. Now you can practice before coming over here, and I may not kick your ass so badly when we play," he said happily.

Setting the box aside, I went and hugged Emmett hard. "Thank you - both of you," I said, and held out my hand for Rosalie to shake. She hesitated, but shook it quickly nonetheless.

"You're welcome," she said, and tried to smile. I was touched at her attempts to be nice to me, and I returned her smile in full.

As I went back to stand by Jasper, Alice pressed a small box into my hands. "This one's from me," she said proudly, and I opened it just as carefully as I did the first.

Inside the box were a pair of gold cufflinks, nestled in soft cotton. I picked one up and looked at it. It had my initials, along with the Cullen family crest on it. I had seen it in various photos around the place, and Carlisle wore a ring with it on it, so I recognized it immediately. Carefully, I placed the cufflink back in the box.

"Thank you so much, Alice. They're beautiful," I said.

"You're welcome," she answered, hugging me. "Happy Birthday."

I grinned at her and Carlisle handed me one last box. It was flat and light. I opened it and what I saw inside made my mouth open in shock. Looking at Carlisle, I stuttered, "Carlisle...Esme...I..."

"You're welcome, son," Carlisle smiled as I took the item out of the box. It was a black leather cuff with the Cullen crest in the center, made of silver. I ran my fingertips over it and noticed it was to be wrapped around the wrist and tied together with three small leather pieces attached to the end. Carlisle held out his hand and I placed the cuff in it. My heart was pounding at the thoughtfulness and importance of the gift. I swallowed hard in an effort to get rid of the overwhelmed tears threatening to spill.

"Come here, Edward," he said, and I took a step toward him. He took my right wrist in his hand and fastened the cuff on it. "Welcome to the family."

I couldn't help it - I hugged him hard and he patted my back, then let go and Esme pulled me to her.

"Thank you so much," I said to the both of them and released Esme, stepping back to Jasper. I noticed he was smiling, and I looked around the room. Everyone else was grinning as well, and I couldn't describe how happy I was to be included as a member of their family.

"There's more," Jasper told me, and lifted two papers out of the box. I scanned them quickly, and thought my eyes were deceiving me. They were airline tickets...to Rio De Janiero!

Once again, I glanced at Carlisle, who was still smiling.

"What?" I said in disbelief. "This is too much, Carlisle, really."

"Nonsense," Esme said. "There is an island, off the coast of Rio, and that is where you and Jasper will be going. It's called Isle Esme."

She looked at Carlisle fondly, and he kissed her cheek.

"I bought it when we married, and we would like for you to go there over Christmas break," he said kindly.

"Wow...thank you so much...all of you. I am speechless," I said reverently. Briefly, I thought about the trip to the island. Me and Jasper, alone...maybe I could persuade him to do more than make out while we are there.

"You're welcome, from all of us," Carlisle grinned.

Jasper took the tickets from me, put them in the box, and put the lid on it. He sat it on the table with the others and took me by the hand.

"My turn," he said, and everyone laughed quietly. I was grinning too as he pulled me up the stairs.

Once we were in his room, he closed the door and pulled me into his arms. He leaned in and gave me a lingering kiss. When he pulled away, I licked my lips to get more of his taste and he was smiling.

"Sit on the bed, babe," he instructed. "I have to give you your gift."

I did as he asked, and in only a few seconds, he was next to me with a small black box.

"I hope you like it," he said quietly, and placed the box in my hand. When I opened it, my breath caught in my throat. It was a silver band, with a flat green stone inlay.

Looking from the ring to his eyes, I said, "Jasper, this is beautiful."

"The stone is jasper," he told me softly. "It is my promise to you that I will be with you always, my Edward."

Carefully, I lifted the ring out of the box and studied it. There was an inscription inside. _For eternity_, it said, and my eyes filled with tears against my will.

"Jasper..." I whispered, and he took the ring from me. Holding my right hand in his, he slid it onto my ring finger then lifted it to his mouth and kissed it. When he let my hand go, I threw my arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Jasper," I said into his neck. "I love you...so much."

"As I love you," he replied, and I stared into his eyes. My chest felt like it was going to explode with the amount of love I felt for him, and I kissed him, hard. He kissed me back with equal fervor, and before I knew what was going on, I was on my back on the bed.

With a soft growl, Jasper kissed from my mouth down the side of my neck and back up to my ear. His mouth always felt so fucking good on my skin, and I gripped the back of shirt, willing him to keep going.

To my delight, he started unbuttoning my shirt, pushing the material away so he could kiss my chest. When his cold mouth closed over my nipple, I gasped and arched against him with a soft cry.

Jasper then moved his body on top of mine and kissed across my collarbones. I slid my hands down his back to his ass and pulled his hips against me while lifting my own. Oh, God, he was hard. I wanted to feel him naked against me, and I told him so with panting words in his ear.

He didn't answer, but continued to rock his hips against mine while kissing my mouth and neck feverishly. I was in a state of complete bliss, my mind clouded by desire. Every one of my senses only registered one thing: Jasper.

My heart beat wildly in my chest as I felt my release nearing.

"Jasper!" I gasped, "I'm gonna come..."

"Yes, mate, come for me..." he hissed in my ear, not faltering in his thrusts against me.

Hearing him call me that sent me over the edge of bliss, and I cried his name as my hips bucked against his. He latched onto the juncture of my neck and shoulder, and started shaking. He was sucking my skin hard, and it only fueled my pleasure. He stilled his hips against me, and I could feel his cock twitch as he came. I scraped my nails against his shoulders, trying to hold him as close to me as possible. I was drowning in the haze of ecstasy.

Vaguely, I heard a feral growl of "Mine!" and I suddenly felt a sharp pain, followed by an intense burning. Oh, fuck! What happened? I was on fire...on the inside!

**Eeeek! *hides* I hope y'all liked this, and I'm anxious to know what you think!**

**Till next time,**

**Penny**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey y'all! I am overwhelmed at the response to the first chapter! Wow! Thank y'all so much! So, here we are with the aftermath...**

**Thank you to DelphiusFanfic for prereading, and Corey, for betaing.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**JPOV**

When my mind became clear again, I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom, against the wall farthest from the bed. Emmett was holding me still, and there was a flurry of activity at the bed. The whole family was there. That's when I heard the wailing. Oh fuck! What did I do?

My lips were wet, and I licked them. Blood. Oh my God, I bit him! I bit my mate! My venom was searing through his veins at this very moment! No!

Pushing Emmett away, I bounded to my feet and tried to run to the bed. "NO!" I shouted. "Please, don't let him change! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The enormity of what I did swamped me as the guilt pushed me to move, to do something, _anything - _I _had_ to fix this.

Emmett wrapped his arms around my chest, pinning my arms down. I struggled, trying to see Edward. His harsh breaths and cries were tearing at my dead heart. I didn't mean to bite him. It was an accident. I didn't mean to lose control.

The voices in the room were assaulting me all at once.

"I might be able to." Carlisle.

"You have to try." Esme.

"It will work, Carlisle. Trust me." Alice.

"It was only a matter of time." Rosalie.

"You have to calm down, Jasper," Emmett was saying in my ear. It was a jumbled mess. The only thing I could concentrate on was the fact that I bit my mate, without his consent. What would he say? What would he do? Would he ever forgive me?

Emmett began to haul me out of the room. I tried to get away, unwilling to leave Edward.

"Let me go!" I snarled. "I can't leave him!"

Emmett ignored my plea and wrestled me outside and onto the front lawn. I pushed my hands into my hair and tugged, frustrated.

"What have I done, Emmett? Oh my God, what have I done?" I dry sobbed, while pacing back and forth.

"Calm down, Jasper. It's gonna be okay."

"No, no, it's not. I bit him. We were...and I was...and I just...lost control..."

I sat down hard in the grass, pulled my knees up, folded my arms on them, and buried my face in my arms. I cried hard, wishing for the tears that wouldn't come to cleanse me of my wrongdoing.

A large hand rested on my shoulder, and I knew Emmett had joined me on the grass. I didn't look up. I didn't even acknowledge him. My ears were trained on the voices coming from my room.

The words of my family sounded muffled, and I wanted to be in there so much. I needed to be with my mate, to apologise and beg him for forgiveness. The thought hit me that if he did survive this, at the very least I'd forever marred his beautiful skin, and the sobs racked through me once again.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Emmett spoke in my ear.

"Carlisle's coming."

In a flash, I was on my feet, striding across the dark lawn to meet him. Before I could say anything, Carlisle assured, "He's resting."

"Resting? You mean..." My eyes searched his.

"Yes, son. I was able to suck the venom out. Edward is still human."

Oh, thank fuck. In my relief, I fell to my knees and hid my face with my hands, silently crying once again. I didn't take my mate's life, or change him before I should have. The only question remaining was whether he would forgive me.

"He asked for you," Carlisle said quietly.

I was on my feet in a flash, throwing my arms around my father. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Carlisle!"

With a pat on my back, my sire released me, and I sped into the house and up to my room. I stopped just before the door and tried to gather my strength. What lay beyond my door? Would Edward be upset, only asking to see me so that he could send me away? Would he want to give me a tongue lashing before asking one of my other family members to take him home? I didn't know, but I couldn't just stand outside the room wondering. All these questions with no answers were driving me crazy, putting every nerve ending on edge.

Slowly, I opened the door and walked inside. Alice was sitting on one side of Edward, and Esme on the other. Rosalie was nowhere to be seen.

Tentatively, I walked up to the end of the bed and looked down on my mate. He was so beautiful, with his eyes closed against his pale cheeks. I could see the bright white corner of a bandage covering the mark I made on him. It was a miracle that I didn't end his life.

I moved my eyes from Edward, to Esme, to Alice, and back. They were smiling, surprisingly. It confused the hell out of me.

Edward's eyelids fluttered once, then opened to reveal the brilliant green I had come to love so much.

"Jasper," he sighed, with a small smile, pulled his hand out of Esme's, and reached for me. Esme moved off of the bed and I quickly took her place, holding my mate's hand gently.

"Edward," I whispered brokenly, my throat closing with emotion. "God...Edward...I - I'm so fucking sorry..."

Unbelievably, he smiled.

"That was hot, yeah?"

Alice burst into giggles, and I shook my head, confused as fuck.

"What? Edward, I - "

"Shut up, Jasper," Edward replied, surprising me further.

"Sorry, bro," Emmett said as he walked into the room, effectively ruining our moment, "but if Edward's staying the night, I have to stay in here."

I watched Em sit and get comfortable on the couch, then nodded.

"I know," I said. "Thank you, Em."

He waved me off and opened one of my books. I turned my attention back to Edward.

"Please, don't be sad," my mate said, pulling his hand from mine and raising it to touch my cheek. I flinched at the contact, and he dropped his hand.

"You don't want me to touch you?" He asked, frowning.

The innocence of his question was too much, and I chuckled.

"I think that's the problem," I said. "I want you to touch me and I want to touch you...too much."

He grinned, and I sighed. Somberly, I said, "I could have killed you."

His grin faded. "I know."

"How can you lay here and make jokes about it? If I hadn't...if Alice...if Carlisle..."

"I know, Jasper, I know, and I'm not mad."

"You're not...what? Do you realize how serious this was? If no one had pulled me away?"

My throat choked up with emotion again, and I had to look away from his angelic face. I noticed that everyone but Emmett had left the room.

"Yes, I do," he answered, and I brought my eyes back to him. He was staring, blinking slowly. "I said I'm not mad, but maybe we should... be more careful...together..."

Unable to speak, I nodded, then moved to lay next to him. He surprised me by shaking his head.

"Wait, Jasper," he almost whispered. "I'm not sure...I love you, but..."

"I know," I choked out, and went to sit with my brother on the sofa. I watched my mate turn over, being careful not to lay on his injury. The bandage was blinding in the low light, taunting me, making me relive over and over what I had done.

Guilt rushed through me in a powerful wave, and I had to stifle the sob that wanted to escape my throat. Fuck. I had ruined everything. There he was, lying alone, afraid to have me close. The sadness and regret at what I had done to him, _to us,_ clawed at my dead heart.

I wanted nothing more than to be holding him against me and calm his fear, but I couldn't. I was the cause of it!

"I should have been able to control myself!" I hissed angrily, standing and pacing in front of my brother. "When he stayed the night before, I _rimmed_ him, for fuck sake! How much more intimate can you get than that, other than fucking? This should _not_ have happened!"

Lifting my eyes from the floor to Emmett, I saw him cringing.

"I'm sorry for being so graphic, but you just don't understand my frustration. Why wasn't I able to stop myself?"

"Well..." he said slowly, "we all heard what was going on in here. Maybe you got too...excited?"

"Excited my ass," I snorted, walking over to the window. Resting my forehead on the glass, I whispered, "It was incredible, Emmett. The way he was making me feel...the pleasure...the...I'm a fucking monster, Emmett."

"Well...yeah, we are," Em answered, surprising me. "It's what we do. We claim our mates, and you were doing what's in our nature. Besides, your emotions were high. You gave Edward a ring with the word eternity engraved in it, and he accepted it, which basically meant he promised you forever. The vampire in you went nuts because of it."

Emmett was right. The monster inside had been so elated at Edward's acceptance, it took over. Would Edward be able to understand that was the reason I had lost control?

**EPOV**

Hot. I was so hot. Burning. Fire was racing through my body, like an inferno, with every beat of my heart.

Just as I was going to be consumed by the flames, it began to fade slowly. Fingers and toes first, then hands and feet, then arms and legs. The last bit to cool was my chest, and I sighed in relief.

I laid there, trying to get my breath back, before slowly opening my eyes and looking around. All of the Cullens were there, except for Jasper and Emmett.

Carlisle was studying my face while wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. He then took what looked like gauze and tape from Esme.

"How are you feeling, son?" he asked kindly.

"Okay," I whispered. "Water."

Alice, from my other side, reached onto the nightstand and grabbed the bottle of water there. She took off the cap and handed it to me. I gulped the cold water down in long swallows, trying to soothe my dry throat. When I was finished, I handed the bottle back to her. She placed it back on the table, and I glanced at Carlisle.

"He bit me, didn't he?" I asked.

"Yes." He looked sad.

"That's what I thought happened, when I felt the pain."

"Then the burning," Esme said, as Carlisle taped the gauze onto the bite mark.

"Yeah."

After a little while, the bedroom door opened and I watched Jasper and Emmett walk in. He was upset, I could tell. I beckoned him over and he came willingly.

Of course, he tried to apologise, so I made a joke to try to lift his mood. It didn't work.

I remembered the talk about mates and claiming and all of that. He couldn't help that he bit me, and that's why I wasn't mad. However, I was a little afraid that he'd do it again, so it made me feel a little better knowing Emmett would be staying in the room during the night.

As we talked, the reality that I could have been changed tonight frightened me. I knew I said before that I accept that I would have to be changed, and I had asked him to do it at Prom, but what happened tonight proved to me that Jasper was right. I wasn't ready.

It nearly killed me to tell my boyfriend that I wanted to sleep alone. I just needed the night to have a little space to get over what had happened.

The soft voices of Jasper and Emmett were lulling me to sleep, and right before I dropped off, I realised I forgot to thank Carlisle.

**/\o0O0o/\**

I opened my eyes the next morning to see Jasper and Emmett playing checkers on the couch. They both looked bored. Glancing out the window, I saw that it was yet another grey day. The smell of something cooking was strong, and my stomach rumbled.

God, I was hungry!

Yawning, I stretched and sat up. Emmett grinned at me and Jasper glanced my way with an apologetic look.

"How ya feeling, little bro?" Emmett asked with way too much cheer for the morning.

"Great," I answered with a grin. "Starving, though."

"Let me see what's cooking," Emmett replied and left the room. After he was gone, there was a heavy silence hanging in the air, and I couldn't stand it.

"Come on over here, Jasper," I said, patting the bed next to me.

Slowly, he walked to the edge of the bed and sat down. I took his hand immediately, and gazed at our fingers twisted together.

"Are you upset with me, Jasper?" I asked in a small voice.

"Upset with _you_?" he asked with a disbelieving laugh. "Edward, look at me."

I raised my eyes to his, and he lifted his free hand to stroke my cheek bone.

"I am upset with myself," Jasper sighed. "I lost control with you, because..."

"Because?" I prompted.

"I offered you the ring, as a promise for eternity. You accepted it. The monster that lives within me, the one who wants to claim you and mark you, was overjoyed at that fact, and just...didn't want to wait."

"I understand that, and luckily, the rest of the family was here to help you. Really, there was no harm done."

Jasper sighed again and looked toward the window. "I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. If no one was here but me and you, last night could have ended very differently."

"Yes, I know," I replied. "But they were here, so that was a good thing. It's done and over. You can let it go."

Training his eyes back on me, he said, "I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to be...close with me like that anymore until you are ready to be turned."

"I'm not afraid of you, you know. If I was, I would have been out of here and home last night. The only reason I didn't have you lay with me while I slept was because I was a little overwhelmed. That's all. I know you didn't bite me on purpose." I lowered my voice to almost a whisper. "It really was kind of...hot."

Jasper huffed, and I decided I had enough talking about it. I pulled him closer by the hand, wound my arms around his waist, and snuggled into his hard chest.

The door opened, startling me, and I pulled away from Jasper just as Emmett walked in with a tray. He sat it on my lap with a flourish.

"Breakfast is served," he grinned.

"Thanks, Em. This looks great."

I held Jasper's hand as I ate, hoping that he would get it through his thick head that I was really okay.

When I was done, I went to the bathroom, washed up, and got ready to go. As I gathered the gifts from the living room from the table where I had left them the night before, the whole family wandered in to see me off. Emmett took my things out to his Jeep, to wait on me.

I said goodbye to Carlisle last, pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you for saving me last night," I whispered in his ear, then let him go. He smiled at me.

"You're welcome, son," he said quietly back, and Jasper led me out the door.

We didn't talk too much on the way home. Emmett tried to make jokes, but Jasper wasn't having it. For the most part, he just stared out the window.

By the time we reached my house, I couldn't take it anymore and made him look at me.

"I am going to keep in touch with Emmett and make sure you aren't brooding, you hear me?"

Jasper nodded and forced a smile.

"Well, are you going to kiss me before I have to go in the house?" I asked with a raised brow.

He leaned in and kissed me softly, then started to back away. Quickly, I put my hands on the back of his neck and held him still, trying to get him to open his mouth for me. Eventually, he complied, but it felt like he really wasn't into it. Maybe he was just upset still.

Slowly, I backed away from him and got out of the car.

"See you guys on Monday," I said, as Emmett backed out of the driveway. I watched them drive until the Jeep was out of sight, then went into the house.

I headed straight for my room, dumped all my stuff onto my bed, then went into the bathroom. After locking the door, I stripped my shirt off and studied the bandage on my neck. Carlisle had taped it on well.

Picking at the tape, I carefully pulled the gauze away from my skin and leaned closer to the mirror, to study the bite mark. I didn't know what Carlisle did to it, but it was completely healed, leaving only a slightly raised, bumpy scar. As I trailed my fingers over it, I couldn't help grinning to myself. Jasper had given me two gifts for my birthday, and I cherished them both. I couldn't help the feeling of pride that spread through my chest at the fact that I now wore his mark on my skin. It would be there forever, just as he would be in my heart.

**Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it! Till next time,**

**Penny**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey y'all! Hope you like this one!**

**Special thanks to Kerrfrano, DelphiusFanfic, and S.M. Cullen for the extra help on this chapter. You girls rock.**

**Thank you to my prereader DelphiusFanfic and my beta Corey. Awesome peeps, they are.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**JPOV**

"I don't know what to do, Carlisle," I sighed, hoping my father could give me advice. A week had passed since the incident, and I was still warring with myself. Every time I saw the scar on my mate's neck, guilt and shame rushed through me, making me ever more melancholy.

Carlisle glanced at me from his place beside me on the front steps. We were watching Emmett and Edward playing basketball in the driveway. The evening sun was shining through the trees, dappling everything with its light and causing our skin to shine sporadically.

"I know, son," he answered. "What you feel shows in your eyes every time you look at him."

"The thing that bugs me the most about it is the fact that Edward doesn't seem to care. He was an inch from death and just..."

"Acts like it doesn't bother him?" Carlisle supplied.

"Yes. How can he be that resilient, when I am barely coping?"

My father chuckled. "He loves you, Jasper. Accept it. He wants to be with you."

"I know, but I don't deserve him. He's a better man than I."

A loud shout interrupted our conversation, and I watched as my brother hefted Edward up and over one of his shoulders. He was prancing around, yelling about how he won and the loser had to take the punishment, and my mate was laughing and telling Emmett to put him down.

Esme called from inside the house that dinner was ready, and Emmett sat Edward on his feet. Flushed, sweaty, and smiling brilliantly, he bounded over to me and hugged me tight. His scent was magnified by a thousand, and I could only hold him for a few moments before I had to let him go to put some distance between us.

Before, I would have told him how delicious he smelled and stole a kiss. Now, I was too afraid. He noticed the way I was trying to be extra careful, and tried to reassure me that he trusted me and knew I would be alright. I wasn't so sure anymore.

Edward stepped toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders while leaning in for a kiss. I allowed him a brief peck then moved back again.

His smile faltered and he sighed heavily. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go clean up."

I watched him go into the house, and sighed once again.

"How am I going to get over this?" I asked. "It's been a week and I know I am hurting Edward by not returning his affections. I want to, more than anything. He has no idea how much I want to."

"You're frightened, and that's okay," Carlisle said. "The two of you are going to have to talk it over before he gets too upset. Remember, he needs and wants you just as much as you do him."

"I know. I will talk to him," I replied, and went into the house.

Food, soap, and Edward assaulted my nose, and I made the climb up the stairs to my room. I opened the door to see my mate standing next to the bed, pulling on a shirt. He still had small water droplets on his chest and stomach from where it dripped from his hair. Oh, Jesus. My mouth filled with venom and my cock began to harden in my jeans.

No. I couldn't go to him. What if I lost control again? I couldn't risk it, not again, no matter how much I wanted to push him down on that bed and lick every drop of water from his toned, warm skin.

Silently, I closed the door and went back downstairs. Alice and Rosalie were there on the couch, doing something with nail polish, and Carlisle was reading a book in the recliner. I sat in the other chair and stared off into space.

A bottle of nail polish hit me on the arm, effectively getting my attention. I glared at Alice and Rose.

"Who threw that?" I demanded.

"I did," Alice answered. "Why are you so broody?"

"You know why," I told her with a slight growl. Why couldn't they leave me alone?

"You're worrying for no reason, Jasper. You bit Edward, but Carlisle saved him. It's over now."

How could she say that? "It isn't over, Alice. At any given time, I could lose control again."

"Then why didn't you let him change?" Rosalie snarked.

"He's not ready, for fuck's sake, Rosalie! How hard is it to understand that?"

"You don't know that, Jasper," she continued. "Maybe he is upset because Carlisle healed him. Did you ever think of that? No, because you have your head so far up your own ass, you can't stand it."

A sharp growl made its way out of my chest, and Emmett walked into the room.

"I'm not going to attack her, Emmett, but she needs to shut the fuck up," I warned.

"Tell me something, Jasper," Edward said from the bottom of the stairs, effectively startling me. I glanced his way and had to catch my breath at the sight of him. He was so fuckng beautiful, with his damp hair hanging down on his forehead and the top few buttons of his shirt undone.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, already knowing the answer. I stood and began to pace back and forth.

"I think Alice is right. Yeah, you slipped up once. That doesn't mean you will do it again. You're pulling away, and it hurts," my mate said, and the sadness in his voice only made my dead heart ache more. I couldn't do anything right.

"I'm sorry," I said lamely. "It seems no one understands."

"No, I don't understand," Edward said, raising his voice. "One minute, you want me! The next, you won't even kiss me anymore. You need to make up your mind, Jasper. Do you want us to work at all?"

The entire family was in the room now, watching Edward and I like they were watching a tennis match. I thought this conversation would be better in private, but my mate obviously didn't care who heard. His eyes were flashing with anger, his posture tense. I moved closer to him.

"You know I want you, Edward," I told him quietly. "I'm just...afraid."

"I know you are," Edward replied, his eyes softening. "But you can't give up after one mistake."

"It was a mistake that almost cost you your life."

"But it didn't," he pleaded. "We could be supervised all the time, you know."

"We were supervised that night," I reminded him.

Edward huffed loudly. "You are thinking of everything you can to try and stay away from me, Jasper! I don't get it! If you want to stay away from me so damn much, maybe I should just go!"

He strode toward the door and my family stared at me, waiting for me to follow him. The door closed behind Edward with a loud bang, and still, I sat there. I deserved him walking out on me, no matter how much it hurt to see him do it.

"Jasper, you are so stupid!" Alice yelled, and went after my mate. I hung my head and went up to my room, closing the door behind me. Outside, I heard the sound of a car leaving the driveway and knew Alice was taking Edward home.

Shame filled my entire being. Edward was right, as was Alice, but I couldn't tell my protective side that. I only wanted to keep my mate from harm, but what was I supposed to do when it was me that did the harm? There was only one way I could think of and it would hurt both of us. I needed to talk to Carlisle.

"Carlisle, can I talk to you?" I asked quietly and, within seconds, he was at my door.

"Something wrong, son?" he asked, and I stared at him.

"I think I need to go back to Alaska," I told him mildly.

He nodded slowly, which surprised me.

"To talk to Eleazar?"

"Yes. Do you think he could help me?"

"I don't know. Maybe," he answered. "Do _you_ think it would help if you talked to him?"

"It might. I have to get rid of the guilt, Carlisle, and I don't know how. It's eating me from the inside out, and I can't stand it anymore."

"I know it is," Carlisle said. "All of us can see it. You do realise that it will be painful for you and Edward both if you go, don't you?"

Sighing, I sat on the end of the bed.

"Yes, I know, but I don't know what else to do. I don't want to pull away from him, or make him angry, but the fear of biting him again is too much for me to cope with. When he tries to get close, his scent is so strong, and it's as if I can taste his blood on my lips all over again. I can't deny that he..."

"Tasted good?" Carlisle smirked, and I managed a half hearted smile.

"Good isn't the word," I snorted, and my father laughed quietly.

"I know exactly what you mean."

Just as quickly as it happened, the humorous moment was gone, and I gazed at Carlisle seriously.

"Thank you again for saving Edward's life."

"You don't have to thank me, son, but you're welcome. I want to see you get past this, Jasper. I know you can control yourself. Remember what Emmett said."

"I remember."

"When do you think you will leave?" Carlisle asked then, and I had to think for a minute.

"Sunday night, I think. I will explain everything to Edward when and if he comes over tomorrow."

Again, Carlisle nodded.

"You need to talk to him, Jasper. I'm sure he will understand."

Looking down at the bedding that so resembled my mate's incredible eyes, I said, "I hope so."

**/\o0O0o/\**

**Edward - Can you come over? - Jasper**

I set my phone aside and waited for my mate's answer. I didn't want to have the talk I was planning on having, but it was necessary. Within minutes, my phone beeped, and I picked it up.

**Jasper - Yes. Send Em to get me? Parents are gone. - Edward**

"Emmett?" I called, and he answered with a quick 'busy'.

Jesus, he could have picked a better time to fuck Rosalie. It was maddening and yes, selfish of me to think that way. I shouldn't take him away from his mate.

With that thought, I said, "Never mind," and took my keys from the top of my dresser.

The trip to Edward's was short enough, with the way I drove, and Edward looked surprised to see me when he came out of the house. He opened the passenger door and got in.

"Hey," he said, a bit shyly. "I'm surprised you came to get me."

"Emmett was...occupied," I told him, and he looked confused for a moment, then wrinkled his nose.

"Gross, Jasper."

"Believe me, I agree," I told him, and pulled away from his house.

The ride back was relatively quiet, but as soon as I turned into the driveway, Edward looked from the window to me.

"Jasper, I'm sorry I got angry and walked out yesterday," he said quietly. His face showed shame, and it hurt me to know that he felt that way. Everything was my fault, not his.

Slowly, carefully, I stroked his cheek, and he leaned into my touch.

"You have nothing to apologise for," I said. "The fault is mine."

He waved me off and kissed my palm as I moved my hand away. We got out of the car and went to the house. I noticed that there were no noises coming from Emmett and Rose's room, and for that I was glad.

Opening the door, I motioned for Edward to go in first, and Alice ran up and hugged him.

"Hey, Edward!" she exclaimed brightly. "So glad you're here today!"

"Thanks," he said, hugging her back tentatively. Alice usually didn't greet him like that.

Emmett and Rosalie were sitting on the sofa, and they both waved at my mate. Rosalie waved at Edward? What the fuck was that about? He waved back at them with a confused look.

I took his hand and led him to my room, where he reclined on the sofa. I stared at him for an indeterminable amount of time, reveling in his beauty. Fuck, I was going to miss him so much.

Sitting next to him, I took his hand in mine.

"Edward, I want to tell you something."

"Okay," he said a bit nervously.

"When I first found out you are my mate, I went to Alaska, to visit some friends of my family. They are the Denali coven, and they are just like us. They only eat animals. The reason I went there was because Eleazar, the coven leader, had a human mate, Carmen. She was turned a long time ago, but the fact was that he knew what I was going through."

Edward nodded. "I had no idea there were more vampires who eat like you."

"They are the only ones that I know of," I told him. "Anyway, while I was there, Eleazar taught me coping techniques to control myself around you. They worked well, until your birthday."

My mate's brows pulled together in confusion. "What happened then?"

"This," I answered, holding up his hand with the ring I gave him on it.

"The ring? What do you mean?"

"The emotions I felt were so high - out of control when I gave you this...it just happened," I explained. "The love I felt, along with knowing you accepted eternity with me made the monster inside me so happy, and I couldn't help myself." I let go of his hand and stood, and started pacing in front of him. "I wanted to claim you so fucking much in that moment, Edward, and you know I could have drained you dry in a matter of minutes, ruining any chance of having you forever. The fact that you could have died because of me has guilt trying to claw its way out of me. I am afraid...of being too close to you." I met his eyes then. "I am afraid I will do it again, and I can't risk it again. After tasting you...your blood...it only makes me want to do it all over again."

Edward was quiet for a moment, staring at the carpet while he digested my words. Slowly he raised saddened eyes to mine.

"You're...breaking up with me?" he asked in a small voice, and I fell to my knees in front of him.

"No, Edward! No, I'm _not_ breaking up with you. I could never do that. I only want you to understand what has been going on in my mind since last week. Listen to me. You and I are destined to be together for eternity, and we will be. What I'm trying to say is...I have to go back to Alaska for a little while."

Shock passed across my mate's face. "Why?"

I took both of his hands in mine. "I need to get rid of the guilt of what I have done, and the only person who may be able to help me is Eleazar. I can't stand the fear of hurting you if we kiss, or get close again."

"How long would you stay?" Edward asked. He seemed to be on the verge of tears, and I knew that if I could, I would be crying already. He had no idea how much having this talk with him was ripping me apart.

"That I don't know. I have to make sure I can be in control with you, Edward. There is no room for any more mistakes. We can keep in touch, but for now I think it is best that we only do it through text or emails. I am not safe to be around right now and I will never forgive myself if I hurt you any more than I already have."

A tear slipped down my mate's cheek, and I brushed it away with the back of my hand.

"Edward, please don't cry," I pleaded, and unable to resist, I pulled him into my arms.

He clung to me for dear life, crying softly against my shirt, and I kissed the top of his head. I didn't want to hurt him, in any way, and I had just succeeded in doing it again.

"This isn't goodbye, babe," I whispered. "I just need to...get better."

"Is the whole family going?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"No, just me."

Minutes passed quietly, the silence broken only by Edward's sniffles as he continued to weep. A knock on the door startled us, and I said, "Come in."

Carlisle entered my room and surveyed the situation. With my eyes, I thanked him for showing up.

"Edward, are you alright, son?" he asked with concern.

"No," came his reply, and he lifted his head to look at my father. "My future wants to leave me and I don't get a say in any of it. I understand why Jasper thinks he needs to go, but I don't agree. I trust him enough to know that he would never hurt me like that again. Why can't he trust himself the same way?"

"Edward, you have to understand that when you're a vampire and you are with your mate everything becomes irrelevant except for that one person. You want to be with them in every way. It's almost like you want to be inside them as well as all around them.

"With you being human, it becomes complicated because you are, for lack of a better word, breakable. If you were a vampire, Jasper could do everything he dreams of doing without fear, and the one thing a vampire wants most in the world is to mark his mate. There's almost a primal need to do it.

"While you are human, that primal instinct is extremely dangerous and not just to you. If Jasper bit you and drained you before he could contain himself, he is pretty much committing vampire suicide because there will never be another mate for him. His willingness to survive would then be nonexistent."

Carlisle paused as Edward seemed to consider this new information.

"I think I understand," he said slowly, then glanced at me. "It doesn't make it any easier, though."

"No, it doesn't," Carlisle said, "but when Jasper gets back, he will have a better knowledge of how to control himself."

My mate was quiet for a moment. "Why not change me now, then?"

**Oops! Another cliffie! :D I hope y'all liked the chapter!**

**Penny**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I apologise for the delay. Life went nuts for a while.**

**Thank you to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading and for giving me a much needed ass kicking. She rocks. Thank you also to Corey, for betaing so quickly, like a ninja ;)**

**I don't own Twilight. Hope you enjoy!**

**EPOV**

Jasper's expression turned sympathetic as he glanced at Carlisle then back at me. Gently, he squeezed my hands.

"Edward, babe, you're not ready," he said earnestly.

"How do you know if I'm ready or not?" I asked. "For all you know, I wanted you to bite me the other day."

"Listen to me, son," Carlisle spoke up. "There are things you still need to experience while you are human. Senior Prom, graduation..."

Looking down, I stared at my hands in Jasper's. If I was being honest with myself, I knew Mom and Dad would kill me if I was turned before graduation, because I knew there was no way I could go to school with red eyes. Also, there was the blood lust Jasper hadn't yet told me about. That certainly sounded daunting.

With a small sigh, I nodded, and Jasper pulled his hands from mine. I watched him as he got out a duffle bag and started packing clothes and things in it. He had a sad look on his face; it echoed my feelings.

Glancing at Carlisle, I said, "You both are right, but I really don't know what I'm gonna do without Jasper here. I...need him."

Carlisle patted my shoulder. "I know you do, and he won't be gone long. He can't stay away from you for too long and you know that."

"I hope," I said quietly, and Jasper came over to me. He pulled me to my feet and held me close.

"You know he's telling the truth, Edward," he whispered into my hair, and I nodded against his chest.

"I know. When are you leaving?"

"Now," he answered sorrowfully. "The quicker I get there, the quicker I can come back."

I raised my face to gaze at his perfection. "I hope Eleazar helps you fast."

Chuckling, Jasper answered, "So do I."

We stared at each other for a long time, staying silent, letting our eyes speak for us. The longer we stayed like that, the more I didn't want him to go. My eyes betrayed me by filling with tears and spilled over, rolling slowly down my cheeks. Jasper held me tightly against him and I cursed myself for crying again, but I couldn't help it. I felt like half of me was being taken away.

After a few minutes, Jasper took my face in his hands, making me look at him again.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, babe. My family will look out for you."

"I know," I said, trying to compose myself. I didn't want him to leave with me bawling like an idiot. Putting on what I hoped was a brave smile and staring deeply into his bright gold eyes, I continued, "I love you, Jasper. I don't think you know how much."

"I do," he whispered. "I love you too, Edward, my beautiful mate. I'm going to kiss you now."

"Please," I whispered, and we leaned in to each other. Our lips met, briefly, and I thought that was going to be the end of it, because he was so scared of his own reactions.

I was wrong, however, as Jasper cupped the back of my head and kissed me again, a little more forcefully. Opening my mouth a bit, I kissed back, inviting him in. He took the invitation, sliding his cold tongue into my mouth. I sucked in a harsh breath and gripped the front of his shirt in my fists as I allowed our tongues to lick and play.

He pulled back just enough to allow me to breathe, then I took the initiative and kissed him again, hard. By the time we parted for good, I was breathing hard and wanted so much more. Jasper leaned his forehead against mine and smiled.

"I'll keep in touch."

"You better," I smiled back, and with a last 'I love you', he was gone.

I turned around and saw Carlisle still sitting on the couch. He was looking at me, and I suddenly felt so empty. Jasper had left, and who knew how long it would be before I saw him again. There was nothing left to do but go home.

"Carlisle, will you take me home now?"

"Yes, son," he answered quietly, and I followed him out of the room.

I had the feeling Carlisle wanted to talk on the way to my house, but I preferred to stare out the window. Being at the Cullens' without Jasper felt strange, even though they all liked me. Well, everyone except Rosalie.

Once home, I stood in the driveway and watched Carlisle's car until I couldn't see it anymore, then went into the house. Bella and Jacob were sitting on the couch in the living room, cuddling and giggling. It made me feel sick, even though they pulled away when I walked in.

I turned right around and walked out, heading up to my room. Unfortunately, I heard footsteps behind me. When I got to the door of my bedroom, I looked to see who it was and saw Bella hovering a few feet away.

"What?" I sighed. All I wanted to do was go in and have a nap. I was exhausted.

"Are you okay?" She asked in a small voice, surprising me.

"Fine," I said and went into my room.

"Seriously, Edward," Bella said from my doorway. She really was trying to drive me insane.

"Seriously," I echoed, and she put her hand on her hip.

"Look. I know I've been a bitch to you, but I'm still your sister. Right now though, you look like someone ran over your puppy. What's going on?"

Sighing, I sat down on the edge of my bed. "Jasper left."

Her eyes widened comically. "He _left_? What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said, Bella," I said with a glare.

"But, I thought you were his mate. Surely you two didn't break up," my sister said in a quiet voice. It was rather odd seeing her without her bitch mode on. She seemed genuinely concerned, and I was kind of worried that she was fucking with me.

"We _are_ mates, but he needed to go somewhere for a little while," I explained.

"Well, when's he coming back?"

Fidgeting with the edge of my blanket, I mumbled, "I don't know."

"What? You don't know? Hm, that sounds odd to me, Edward, and I'm not sure I like it," Bella said with a hard stare. What had gotten into her? She never acted like she cared before. She hated Jasper, as far as I knew.

"Why are you so concerned?" I asked, unable to help myself. "You don't like Jasper anyway."

"I never said that," she replied indignantly, walked into the room, and sat next to me. It made me feel weird.

"You never had to say you didn't like him," I told her. "It was in your attitude."

"Well, back then everything was new and stuff. Jasper found you, and Jacob found me, and then we found out they're vampire and wolf and it was a lot to get used to," Bella admitted, surprising me. I had to admit she was right.

"Well, you may not believe me," my sister continued, "but I understand the need to be with the one you're mated to, even though he is human. Honestly, if Jake left like Jasper has, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"I _don't _know what to do with myself," I chuckled dryly.

"I do. Why don't you come to the reservation with me and Jake?"

My eyes widened. "What? No fucking way, Bella. Have you forgotten that they don't like vampires? I am mated to one...they will hate me, too."

"Oh, no they won't," Bella huffed, rolling her eyes. "They know you're my brother and they know about you and Jasper. They may not like the fact you're with him, but they won't hate you."

"I don't know," I said, running my fingers through my hair. "I would feel awkward as hell being there."

"Come on, man," Bella wheedled. "You may be surprised. Besides, it beats sitting here alone wallowing."

"Well," I said, chewing on my thumbnail, "I don't know. I'm just afraid, I guess. Jasper would kill me if he knew I went with you two to the reservation."

"He's not here, and you need cheering up," Bella said in a firm tone. "So, come on. We leave in five minutes."

She stood up and briskly left my room, not giving me time to argue back. It was true, I was scared to go over there with all those wolves. What if they didn't like me and decided to run me off, or worse still, get rid of me for good? That wouldn't go over well with Jasper and his family.

Then again, maybe I should go, just to see how it is on the reservation. I'd never been anywhere like that before, and Bella always seemed like she had had fun when she came back from visiting. Maybe, at the very least, I would be distracted from the reality of Jasper being gone.

With my decision finally made, I went downstairs to see if Bella and Jake were ready to go. When Bella saw me standing at the bottom of the stairs, she literally squealed and ran over to hug me. Jacob laughed and joined us.

"I think you might like it," he said, and I was taken aback at his kindness. Then again, I couldn't recall him being overly rude to me in the first place.

"We'll see," I said as I followed my sister and her boyfriend out the front door.

I felt just like I thought I would on the way to the reservation: like a third wheel. Jacob and Bella were talking, laughing, and flirting in the front as Jacob drove, and I had to try to tune it out as we rode along. I looked out the window, watching the trees rush by. Jacob's car was strange. I was used to the smooth ride of Jasper's car, and this was certainly not as smooth.

The closer we got to the reservation, the more I could smell the salt in the air from the ocean nearby. I also noticed that the ground was more pebbly and rocky, with big boulders sticking up from the forest floor. Once, we passed a huge cliff, and there were some guys at the top, roughhousing. One of them took a running leap and dove off the edge of the cliff into the sea below, and my mouth hung open at his bravery. I could never do that.

Finally, Jacob pulled the car to a stop, and we were suddenly surrounded by hollering and laughing Native American boys. They all looked a lot like Jacob, with short black hair and a tattoo on one of their arms. It was strange.

Their laughter died down as soon as they saw me in the back seat, and I wanted to disappear. I told Bella they would have a fit.

"Jake? Why do you have him here?" One of the boys asked. "He smells like a leech."

"Embry, this is Edward, Bella's brother, and he is welcome here, so stop it," Jacob told his friend. I was surprised he stood up for me.

"Sam!" Embry called. "Come out here!"

After a moment, a big man that looked almost exactly like the others walked out of a house, with a small woman at his heels. She had back hair as well, but it was pulled up into a ponytail at the side, and I immediately noticed the long scars that ran down one side of her face, marring her otherwise flawless skin. Did one of these guys do that to her?

The one called Sam walked up to Jacob's window, where the boy Embry was standing with a look of disgust on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. "What is it, Embry?" He asked. His voice was very deep and authoritative.

"Look what the wolf dragged in," Embry said harshly, pointing at me.

Sam leaned down and looked at me. I felt like a science experiment on display for everyone to gawk at, and I wanted to go back home right then.

"Hello," Sam said to me with a smile. "You're Bella's brother, right?"

"Um...yes sir," I answered in a small voice. "Edward."

"Hello, Edward. You _are_ welcome here. Ignore Embry's attitude. You won't be harmed here."

"Thank you," I said, grateful that at least he approved.

When Sam walked away, once again trailed by the woman with the scars, Jacob turned in his seat to look at me.

"Sam is the pack alpha," he explained. "We all have to follow his orders, so when he says you'll be safe, he is telling the truth. None of us will go against Sam."

"Thanks," I said, relieved.

"Come on," Bella spoke up. "Let's introduce you to the pack and show you around."

She got out of the car, looking excited, and Jacob and I followed her. She pointed to each of the boys standing around and rattled off their names. They gave me quiet hello's and a few waves. I didn't think they knew exactly what to make of me.

Bella turned to me after her introductions. "So, what would you like to see first?"

"I don't know," I answered, and one of the bronzed boys spoke up.

"I can show him the beach," he said.

"That's a great idea, Paul," Bella enthused, and pushed me in the guy's direction. I found myself face to face with his muscled, naked chest, and I could feel the heat radiating off of his body. Tentatively, I looked up at his face. He was smiling and seemed unfazed by how close I was. I stepped back a bit. It was strange feeling the warmth of someone so close to me after being used to Jasper's coldness. It felt alien to me.

"Come on," Paul said kindly, and his voice was almost as deep as Sam's. If I had to guess, he was the oldest out of all the boys there.

I followed him down a path through the woods. I hoped he was taking me to a beach and not somewhere to kick my ass or something. All of this was so foreign. I was used to pale, cold bodies, always clothed; not these warm, shirtless, brown bodies everywhere. It was interesting, but at the same time, I missed the familiarity of the Cullens, and I sure as hell missed being with Jasper.

Paul didn't talk much on the trail. He pointed out a few things here and there, but was otherwise quiet. I was silent, afraid to say anything.

After a few minutes, the trees thinned and the path opened up to reveal a long beach, with pebbly sand and a big tree lying on its side. There were a couple of people swimming, and I wondered how they could keep their heads above the water with the waves coming in like they were. It must have been high tide.

Paul led me over to the fallen tree and gestured for me to sit. "This is First Beach," he said with a smile. "We come here every day in the spring, summer, and fall, swimming and cliff diving. It passes the time."

"It's a nice beach," I told him, not really knowing what else to say.

"One of these days, when you visit again, I'll take you up on the cliffs and show you how to dive. It's a rush," he grinned, looking into my eyes with sparkling dark chocolate ones. Wow. I'd never seen eyes like that before.

"How high is it?" I asked, and he laughed.

"A hundred feet or more. I'm not sure. Afraid of heights?" He asked, elbowing me in the side.

"Not really," I answered. "I've never done anything like that before."

"Oh, you'll love it," he enthused, staring at me with those eyes of his again.

Clearing my throat, I asked. "Who is the girl with Sam?"

"Oh, that's Emily, his wife. He imprinted on her years ago," Paul said flippantly.

"Can I ask..."

"What happened to her face?"

I nodded, a little embarrassed at asking.

"Sam lost control one day and phased in front of her, and that was the result. They are over it now, but Sam tries to be extra careful to control himself now."

I tuned out as Paul started talking about the beach again. So, Sam had lost control and caused Emily those big scars she wore. Yet, they were still together. Sam just makes sure to be careful. As far as I knew, he didn't leave Emily like Jasper has done to me. Somehow, that didn't seem quite fair. Jasper could have stayed. He took what he did way too seriously, and it was irritating. Maybe he and Sam could talk about it. Yeah, right. That would go over like a wet fart in church.

Then again, maybe I could talk to Sam about what happened, since he's been through it. Maybe he could help me get Jasper back faster.

Standing up, I glanced at Paul.

"Hey, can you take me back? I'd like to talk to Sam for a minute."

He frowned, but got up slowly and silently led me back through the woods. When we were back where we started, he jerked his thumb in the direction of the house Sam was in, then strode away without saying anything. Whatever I did to upset him, I didn't mean to.

Sighing, I walked up to the small cabin Paul gestured at and timidly knocked on the door. I thought to myself that I didn't have anything to lose. If he could give me advice, that would be even better.

**Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it.**

**Penny**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Due to RL stuff, I am again late. I am sorry for the delay, and hope y'all stick with me.**

**Thank you to DelphiusFanfic, my prereader, and Corey, my beta, for fixing my stuff and making it awesome.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Hope y'all like it!**

**EPOV**

"Come in," Sam's gruff voice answered, and I slowly opened the door. As I walked inside, I took in my surroundings. The house was simply furnished and decorated in classic Native American decor, making it feel rather cozy.

Sam and Emily were standing in the living room, looking at me expectantly.

Feeling heat rise to my face, I said, "I know you don't really know me and I don't quite know you, but Paul brought something to my attention. I kind of have a problem and I wanted to ask you about it."

My words came out in a rushed ramble. I didn't even know if they made any sense. Honestly, Sam was intimidating and I just prayed I wasn't going to piss him off. The hope that he might be able to give me advice to bring Jasper back to me was the only thing keeping me from bolting.

"We know Bella well," Emily said quietly. "As her brother, you are welcome here just as much as she is."

"Thank you," I replied gratefully. "Did she...uh...tell you guys anything about me?"

"We know you are mated to one of the Cullens, yes," Sam said. "You smell strongly of them."

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"That's okay," Emily smiled. "What was it you wanted to ask about?"

I shuffled my feet nervously. It was now or never.

"Paul told me what happened with the two of you, and I sort of have a similar problem," I blurted.

Surprisingly, Sam only nodded and pulled Emily close to his side. "I don't see how you could," he said slowly, "but I'm intrigued. Tell me more."

This was incredibly awkward.

"Well," I began, "Paul said that you lost control once."

I waited for confirmation, and it came quickly in the form of a curt nod. "Yes," Sam intoned seriously. If I wasn't mistaken, I saw regret pass quickly across his face, followed by adoration as he kissed Emily on the side of her head. She simply grinned up at him.

"Okay, well, my mate, Jasper, lost control recently, and now he thinks he has to leave to prevent it from happening again. I guess what I wanted to know was how to convince him that he doesn't have to feel bad about what happened and that he can stay around. I tried to tell him everything was going to be alright," I finished lamely, staring at my shoes.

Silence reigned in the room for a couple of minutes, then Sam startled me by clearing his throat.

"Edward."

I lifted my head to look at him. Rather than being pissed, he had a sad expression on his face.

"After I...lost control, guilt, shame, and remorse for what I had done threatened to overwhelm me. I couldn't believe that I had hurt my other half. Of course, I don't know how it happened between you and your mate. No matter what the circumstance, though, I know how he feels and we all handle things differently."

Great. He was going to be no help to me. I should have figured as much.

"Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Sam," I said. "I guess I was just hoping..."

"I can see how much you miss him," Emily spoke up kindly, surprising me. "He'll be back soon, Edward, and all will be right again."

Staring at my feet, I mumbled out another 'thank you' and left their house. It kind of hurt to see them together. They could hug and kiss and even talk to each other face to face. I was missing that with Jasper so much.

I walked back to stand beside Jacob's car. I wanted to go back home, but Bella and Jacob were nowhere to be seen. That was real nice of them. Bring me here and then dump me off on others who I didn't know while they ran off and had their fun. Assholes. If they were planning to do that, why did they even bring me in the first place?

"Hey."

Whipping my head around at the sound of the voice that startled me, I was met with Paul's dark eyes.

"Hey," I answered.

"Are you alright?" He asked, looking concerned.

"Fine," I answered, not really feeling up to company. He was acting strange near me, and I wasn't sure I liked it. He seemed nervous, twisting his hands in front of his bare stomach and shuffling his feet. The uncomfortable silence seemed to drag between us.

Luckily, my phone chirped in my pocket and I held up a finger to Paul, signaling for him to wait a minute, then pulled it out. It was a text from Jasper.

**Edward - I miss you so much. I will call you later. I love you. - Jasper**

Reading Jasper's text with Paul standing right behind me made me feel strange. This was private and I felt like he was looking over my shoulder. I shouldn't have come to the reservation. I didn't belong there. Everything was too warm and loud and it made me feel uncomfortable. It was not my element. I belonged with the Cullens, where everything was cold and quiet and soothing. Suddenly, my mouth went dry and I felt a spike of panic run through me.

Turning my head, I looked at Paul. "Please find Jacob and Bella for me."

"Are you alright?" He insisted on asking again, and it was starting to piss me off.

"Yes. Please, just get them," I said with a glare, and he walked off with his brow furrowed in confusion.

I didn't care if I pissed him off or confused him or whatever. If I didn't get away as soon as possible, I was gonna lose my shit. While I waited, I typed a message back to Jasper.

**J - I am going crazy already. Can't wait for your call. Love you. - E**

Bella's laugh startled me from rereading Jasper's text over and over. She and Jacob walked up, looking happy and...dare I say it? Satisfied. However, when I glanced at them, both of their smiles faded immediately.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, and it was all I could do not to scream at her.

"Please, take me to the Cullens," I rasped out through my dry throat. "I can't be here anymore. You don't even have to go down the driveway. Just take me there, please."

Jacob seemed tense at my nearly incoherent rambling, and Bella huffed.

"Edward, you didn't even give it a chance."

"Look," I said seriously. "If I don't get out of here right now, I am going to panic, and you don't want to see that. So, either you drive me to the Cullens or I walk."

I felt like everything was closing in on me. Crazy, I know, but I wasn't used to this place, and it was kind of scary. There were people everywhere, being loud and obnoxious, and it was freaking me out. I didn't know how to act around them, let alone what to say.

Bella stepped back a bit, her mouth open in surprise. She knew I was serious.

"Come on, Jake," she said, pulling on his arm. "We better take him."

"Alright," Jacob agreed, and got into the car.

The further away from the reservation we got, I felt my panic slowly ebbing away. It was too wrong for me to be there, and way too intimidating. Not to mention, I didn't particularly care for the way Paul kept looking at me. Did he not know I wasn't on the market? Everyone at the reservation knew I was mated to Jasper, so if Paul did have intentions towards me, he had a huge set of balls to mess with another's mate.

Finally, Jacob stopped his car at the end of the Cullens driveway, and I couldn't get out of the car fast enough. I barely had time to thank Jacob before he was taking off in a hurry. Made me wonder if he was intimidated by the Cullens, like I was his family.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, I began to walk toward the house. Without me even noticing, Emmett was beside me, his steps matching mine. He slung his arm over my shoulder in the brotherly gesture I was so used to. It was comforting.

"Hey, bro," he said casually, then wrinkled his nose. "Um...dude, why do you smell like a dog?"

"Well, that's a long story," I replied, sniffing my arm. I didn't smell a thing.

"I'm not going anywhere," Emmett grinned.

"I was so down when I got home today, Bella talked to me, like a human being actually, and suggested I go to the reservation with her and Jacob. Like a dumbass, I went."

Emmett's topaz eyes widened in surprise, then he schooled his features right away.

"How'd it go?"

Chuckling dryly, I said, "Not so good. Everyone looked at me like I was their enemy, and I think one of them was trying to hit on me. Jasper texted me and I freaked out. I had to get away from there."

Emmett started to laugh, then stopped himself.

"What did you say? One of those bastard wolves tried to _hit on you_?" He sounded incredulous.

"Yeah," I murmured, watching my feet as we continued to walk toward the house. "Paul."

Whistling lowly, Emmett said, "Jasper won't like that."

"Hell, Emmett,_ I _didn't like it! He creeped me the fuck out! That's why I had to come back here. I felt so damn weird there. I didn't belong. It wasn't home, like here is..." I trailed off, once again feeling the crushing sadness I felt before. What was the point in even being there? Yes, it was like my second home, but Jasper wasn't there. No matter where I was, I would still feel empty.

I didn't mean to start crying then - I didn't _want _to cry - but my eyes betrayed me by sending a couple of big fat tears rolling down my cheeks. I brushed them away angrily, and Emmett stopped walking, putting his hand on my arm to stop me too.

The next thing I knew, I was being crushed against Emmett's strong hard chest, and the tears came faster, followed by a choked sob.

"I know, buddy," Emmett said quietly. "Just let it out. I know how you feel."

"How...can you...know?" I choked out.

"I had to leave Rose here once, a long time ago, for about a month," he explained. "It was so fucking hard, man. She's all I thought about, every minute, and I was counting the seconds until I could go back to her."

Trying to stop my tears, I said, "But I can't do that, Em. I don't know when he'll be back!"

Before Emmett could say anything else, my phone rang in my pocket, and I stepped back to fish it out.

"Hello?" I sniffled, trying to control myself.

"_Edward?"_ It was Jasper.

"Yeah."

"_What's wrong, babe? Talk to me,"_ he said, sounding very concerned.

"I'm just having a hard time," I sighed. "I can't stand this already, and you haven't even been gone a day yet. It's too hard."

"_Believe me, I know. I can't stop thinking about you and wishing you were in my arms. I want that so much."_

"Then come back, Jay. Come back to me," I pleaded unashamedly. It didn't matter that Emmett could hear every word I was saying. I didn't care. All I knew was that I needed _my_ Jasper to come home.

He sighed. _"I can't, Edward. I haven't even been able to talk to Eleazar yet. They are hunting. I swear to you, I'll come back soon."_

"You fucking better," I said, feeling a fresh wave of tears coming. "This sucks."

"_Yes, it does."_ He paused. _"Please, don't cry."_

I took a minute to compose myself. "Sorry. Can't help it."

There was a commotion in the background on the phone and I heard Jasper talking to someone.

"What was that?" I asked.

"_Eleazar just got back. I am going to talk with him now. I will call you before bed tonight,"_ he told me.

"Okay, talk to you then."

"_I love you, my sweet Edward."_

"Love you too, Jay."

"_Bye for now."_

"Bye."

Slowly, I pushed the end call button on my phone and slid it back into my pocket. Emmett walked back over to me from the tree he was pretending to study while I was on the phone, and smiled.

"Feel any better now?" he asked, and I shrugged.

"I guess. I don't know."

He clapped me on the shoulder and led me to the front porch.

"If my nose is correct," he grinned, "Esme knows you're here and is cooking. You better not keep her waiting."

Sighing, I replied, "Damn. I'm not even close to being hungry."

Emmett just laughed and we went into the house. Esme met us at the door almost immediately.

"Oh, honey, don't cry," she clucked, wiping under my eyes and hugging me briefly. It was embarrassing as hell.

"I'm okay," I reassured her, smiling to prove my point so she would stop. "It's just been a bad day."

"I know," she said and led me into the dining room by my arm. I shot Emmett a pleading look as we walked by, and he just shrugged his shoulders with a grin. Asshole.

Esme had me sit at the ornate dining table then sat a soda and a steaming plate in front of me. It was meatloaf, a baked potato, and peas. The gesture itself made me smile.

"Thanks," I told her, and meant it. She didn't have to do this for me.

"Eat up, Edward," she smiled while pushing my hair off of my forehead. "Then you can shower and have a good night's sleep."

I was confused. "Wait. What about my parents?"

"Oh, I called them earlier. They said it was fine for you to stay the night."

"Alice, right?" I asked and she just smiled wider before going back into the kitchen.

Picking up my fork, I was just about to take a bite when Alice slid into the chair next to me.

"Hey, Edward," she said cheerfully, then wrinkled her nose. "Ew, you smell."

"Thanks," I laughed, then took a bite of food.

"I saw what happened outside," she told me earnestly, and I felt embarrassed all over again. "But you know something? Me and Em are gonna keep you so busy, he'll be back before you know it."

I mock glared at her, and she just laughed at me. Typical Alice. She always got what she wanted. Honestly, I was thankful for what she was trying to do for me.

After dinner, I took a long, hot shower, then dressed in some of Jasper's sleep pants and one of his tee shirts. It was comforting to have his smell drifting up from his clothes every time I moved, but still sad because I was missing him so damn much. I barely had my clothes on when the door to the bathroom opened and I saw Alice and Emmett standing there.

"Um...hey," I said, wondering what they had up their sleeves for me.

"Oh, don't look so scared," Alice laughed while pulling me out of the room by my hand. "It's just karaoke."

"What?" I almost yelled, pulling my hand away. "Did you say karaoke?"

She nodded emphatically.

"Oh, no," I said, starting to back away from them. "No, no, no, I don't sing."

With a loud laugh, Emmett grabbed me and slung me over his shoulder. Shit, I had no chance in hell of getting away.

_Wonderful. This should be fun,_ I thought sarcastically as Emmett effortlessly carried me down the stairs and unceremoniously dumped me on the couch.

**Thank you for reading. I ended it here because I want next chap to be split pov...Edward's night of fun and Jasper's talk with Eleazar. :)**

**See y'all next time!**

Penny


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey y'all. Surprise! I got my mojo back, thank God. It was killing me!**

**Special thanks to DelphiusFanfic, for not only prereading but for also giving me support in getting this done. She rocks ass and is in many ways my muse. Thank you so much, girl!**

**Another thank you to Corey, for betaing. **

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Hope you enjoy this!**

**EPOV**

Oh my God, this was so embarrassing. I have never, in the time I have known the Cullens, seen Rosalie even try to look like she was enjoying something. She always had the permanent scowl when I was around. Tonight though, she was standing in the living room, holding the microphone from the karaoke machine, singing like a star. She swayed back and forth as she sang a song I didn't recognize, and I was surprised that her voice was as good as it was.

When she finished, Alice bounced excitedly next to me. "That was great!"

"It really was," I added quietly, and Rosalie shocked me by grinning widely and giving all of us a small bow. Emmett went to her and hugged her before giving her a kiss.

"You were awesome," he said, taking the microphone from her and turning to the rest of us. "Okay, who's next?"

Alice, Esme, Carlisle, and I glanced at each other. They all were smiling, and I could feel my face heating up. I was hoping like hell they didn't pick me.

"I'll go," Emmett said while puffing out his chest. Oh God, he was gonna make an ass out of himself. He messed with the machine for a minute then stood in front of all of us with a smirk. This was definitely going to be interesting.

"Music's all set," he said. "Be right back."

He grabbed Alice's arm and in a flash, they were upstairs. Within a minute, they were back, and Emmett looked totally different. He was wearing a white tee shirt, tight as hell jeans, shiny black shoes, a leather jacket, and he had something in his hair, slicking it back all except for a large curl on his forehead. He had an unlit cigarette in his mouth, too. I could only wonder where he had gotten that.

As Alice settled beside me with a sweet smile on her face, the music started and the family cheered. Emmett had chosen the song '_Greased Lightning_' from the movie "_Grease_". I watched him, amazed, as he started singing. He sounded pretty good, I had to admit, and he even did the same dance as the guys did in the movie. He knew the moves perfectly. Honestly, I was rather shocked at how good his performance was and I even think my mouth was hanging open at one point.

By the time he was finished, I was tapping my foot to the music. As it faded out, I clapped just as hard as everyone else for him. It seemed he had a hidden talent no one had told me about. He went to sit beside Rosalie, sporting a huge smile, showing off his dimples. He was such a ham.

"You never fail to entertain," Carlisle smiled at his son.

"Thanks," Em said, and took an imaginary drag of his cigarette.

"Okay, let's see," Esme said, glancing at those of us left who hadn't sang. "Alice, you're up."

Aice bounded to her feet and rushed over to the machine to get her music ready. Knowing her, the song she picked would be something she could dance to. She didn't seem like the ballad type.

True to form, when the music started, it was Katy Perry's "Firework". It was kind of sad I knew that, but my sister...yeah, we won't go there.

Anyway, Alice bounced around, singing loudly, uncaring of what she looked like or sounded like. She was having fun, and it made me smile. I had a feeling the Cullens didn't do this very often, but when they did, they were in it a hundred percent. It made me love all of them just a little more, seeing them carefree and relaxed - just enjoying themselves.

When Alice was finished, she gave a grand curtsey and skipped back to sit next to me. Carlisle stood and held his hand out to Esme.

"Shall we show these kids how it's done, my dear?" he asked and Esme actually giggled. What happened next blew my mind.

Carlisle messed with the karaoke machine then sat the microphone aside. He and Esme then got into a classic dance position. The music came on, a 50's upbeat song, and they began to dance. They did all of the classic moves you would see in a classic movie, like the ones my grandma watched. They flipped and twirled in perfect rhythm. I was taken aback by how flawless they were. It was amazing, and by far the best act of the night.

When they were finished, while they took their bow, the rest of us gave them a standing ovation. They hugged and smiled, then came to sit back down. Suddenly, I felt very nervous.

"Yeah, you know what time it is," Emmett said with what I would call a predatory grin. I shook my head no, feeling my face heat up, and Alice took it upon herself to pull me up from the couch and over to the machine.

"Alice, I don't want to," I whined like a child, hoping she'd fall for it. Yeah, I should have known better.

"Shut your mouth, Edward Masen," she chided. "You're not getting out of it."

Pretending to huff, I took the microphone she was holding out and looked at the television, where the words would be there for me. The title came on the screen, and I groaned out loud. She picked _that_, for _me_? Oh, I knew the song, alright. My dad sings it all the time, and Bella and I always tell him he is nuts. It was Elvis' "_All Shook Up_".

"You know this?" Alice asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, because of my dad."

"Good then," she said, turning me around to face my audience. "Let's give them a show."

Cringing, I held the mic to my mouth and waited. The music started and I began mumbling out the words. Emmett said a loud "Booooo" and Alice shocked me by putting her hands on my hips.

"Come on," she hissed in my ear. "You can do it."

With my face flaming, I started to sing a bit louder, and Alice moved my hips to the music with her hands. It was horrifying.

The family in the room began clapping, and I couldn't resist smiling for them. In a bold move, I let my embarrassment go and moved my hips on my own, singing even louder. Alice moved beside me, dancing along, and I even decided to throw in a few classic Elvis moves to surprise everyone.

By the time I was done and the music faded away, the whole room had erupted in cheers and clapping, and Alice picked me up and swung me around in a hug.

"You did great!" she said, and the rest of the family joined us in a big hug. Even Rosalie. I was grinning like crazy, actually beginning to have a good time. These people truly were my family, and I loved them so much for helping me out in the absence of Jasper.

While we all calmed down, Esme went to get me a drink and a snack, and I sat back and enjoyed them while they went another round. They wanted me to go again, and I figured hell, why not?

With way more confidence than before, I went and chose my song by myself. Everyone was waiting and watching with big happy smiles on their faces.

The music started and I tapped my foot to the beat. It was The Black Eyed Peas' "_I Gotta Feeling_". Emmett and Alice whooped loudly, and my confidence grew even more. Of course, thanks to Bella, I knew the words, and I sang with no inhibitions. Alice clapped along to the beat and soon, everyone was singing and clapping with me.

When I was done, I bowed and went to get a drink from the bottle of water I had set on the coffee table. Carlisle started packing up the equipment, and I glanced at the clock. It was getting late.

"Ready for bed?" Esme asked kindly.

"Yeah, I think so."

"It's all ready for you. Goodnight, son," she smiled.

"Night."

After telling everyone else I was off for the night, I went up to Jasper's room and quietly closed the door. Before I settled down, I wandered around his room, looking for the hundredth time at my mate's...yes, he was my mate in every sense of the word... possessions. His room was so rich with history and told a lot about his character. From the books on his bookshelf to the odds and ends he picked up from his travels, everything I laid my eyes on screamed his name to me.

With a deep sigh, I placed the baseball that was sitting on his desk back in its place and went to the bed. The blankets and sheets were soft and warm, almost luxurious against my body. I took my phone from the side table and laid it on the pillow next to me, waiting for my Jasper to call.

Just when my eyes were beginning to drift closed, my phone lit up and I pressed the button to talk before it even fully rang.

"Hey."

"_Hey, babe. How are you?"_

God, his voice was music to my ears.

"I'm okay, staying over at your place. How are you?"

"_Lonely, but alright."_

"Yeah, me too. I miss you so fucking much, Jay."

"_I miss you too, Edward."_

"I know you won't stay gone too long, but it's just been a hard day."

"_It has been for me, too. Being apart feels like half of me is missing. I don't feel like myself."_

"Neither do I," I replied. "Being here tonight with your family has helped. They made me do karaoke."

"_Oh God," _Jasper said, and laughed. _"I don't envy you."_

"It wasn't that bad," I countered. "Took my mind off of everything."

"_I wish I could have seen you,"_ my boyfriend mused, and I felt the sadness of him being away creeping back in to me.

"Me too."

Jasper sighed. _"It's getting late, babe, and you need your rest. I hope you sleep well."_

"Yeah, thanks. I hope I do too." I paused for a moment. "Please come home soon, Jay," I told him in a small voice.

"_I will, my Edward. I love you so much."_

"I love you too."

"_Goodnight."_

"Night, Jasper."

The line went dead in my ear, and I put my phone back on the table. As I snuggled back down in the covers, I took the pillow he usually rested on when he sat with me here and hugged it to me. His scent filled my head and only then was I able to relax enough to go to sleep.

**JPOV**

"Jasper, it's good to see you again," Eleazar said fondly, and gave me a quick embrace. We were outside, away from the others, so our conversation could be private.

"Good to see you too," I replied.

"So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?"

I let out a humorless chuckle. "Leave it to you to get right to the point."

"You know I do, so what's going on? You seem...troubled," he prodded.

Sighing deeply, I told him, "I lost control, Eleazar. I bit my mate."

My old friend's eyes widened in surprise. "And?"

"Luckily, we weren't alone, and Carlisle sucked the venom out. Edward is still human, and I am thankful. Now, I can't get rid of the guilt."

"What made you lose control?" Eleazar asked, perching on a large stump at the edge of the forest that surrounded their place.

"I gave him a promise ring for his birthday, and he accepted it. He promised me eternity, even knowing the monster I am and the one he would eventually become, and I was so...overjoyed...I couldn't control myself."

"Jasper, we are not perfect creatures. We make mistakes. You have to look at the positive side of this."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "'Positive side'? How the fuck do you see anything positive about this? Do you not understand what I told you? I almost killed the one person that makes my whole existence worthwhile! The one who I am supposed to keep safe at any cost!"

Eleazar held up his hands. "Calm down and hear me out."

"Talk," I almost growled, pacing in front of him. How could he be so relaxed when I was in such turmoil? It was fucking killing me to be away from my mate, but the war was still raging inside that I might hurt him again when I go back. What the hell was I supposed to do?

"As I was saying, we all make mistakes," Eleazar said again. He was seriously pissing me off. "What happened after Carlisle saved Edward?"

"He went to sleep, but wouldn't let me sit with him like I did before," I bit out, determined to humor the vampire who didn't take his eyes off of me while I wore a path on the ground.

"That's understandable. What about when he woke up?"

I stopped walking and remembered what Edward had told me. He thought it was 'hot'. The image of his face when he said that made me chuckle a little.

"He told me he thought it was...hot."

Unsurprisingly, Eleazar laughed. "See what I mean? He was freaked, then he got over it. Did he tell you to go away and never come back? Did he scream and hit you and ask you why you did it?"

"No," I mumbled.

Still smiling, my friend asked, "He forgave you, didn't he?"

"Yes," I conceded.

"And let me guess," he continued. "When you told him you were coming here, he didn't want you to go, right?"

"You're right," I answered, then looked up from the ground to Eleazar. "He cried and begged me to stay."

Then, it hit me. Edward, my lovely, sweet mate, forgave me for my brief loss of control, and still wanted to be with me. He still wanted forever! He had never accused me of being a monster or of being afraid of me. He was scared the night it happened, but he was only human. Most of all, though, the love I knew he felt for me was out in full force when I told him I was leaving! That fact alone told me what my next move would be. I was going to go home and beg my beautiful Edward to forgive me for leaving him like I did. I was so wrapped up in my own guilt, I didn't see what was right in front of me! I was so incredibly stupid!

With my eyes wide and my chest heaving in unnecessary lungfuls of air, I couldn't even get angry at Eleazar for laughing at me like he was. Obviously, watching me have my epiphany was funny. I had only one thing on my mind, though. I had to go back..._now._

"Go on," my dear friend said, and after crushing him in a hug and giving him a very heartfelt 'thank you', I raced back to the house. Inside, I gathered my things and bade the rest of the family farewell before taking off back to the only person who would ever make me feel at home...Edward.

The journey back felt like it took forever, even with my vampire speed. I only stopped once, to hunt, and made sure to drink more than my fill so my control could be at it's best. When I reached the edge of the forest that surrounded the house, the gray light of dawn was strong and I could already smell my mate's heady scent. Fuck, I couldn't wait to see him.

Quietly, I went into the house and was met with Esme, who was in the living room, sewing. She was at my side in a flash.

"Jasper, are you alright?" she asked, her eyes looking over my face with worry.

"I'm fine," I answered. "While talking with Eleazar, it just hit me. Even though I bit my mate, he forgave me and wants to still spend eternity with me. I would be a fool to let that go, and I think, because of what happened, I can stay in control now, with no worrying about it. Of course, I still want to...you know, but I am confident I can keep from biting him again. This time apart from Edward, no matter how short, has taught me a lot. Perhaps even more than talking with Eleazar."

By the time I had finished rambling, Esme was grinning widely and Carlisle was at her side wearing his own smile.

"I am proud of you, son," he told me, and my parents pulled me into a quick hug. As they let me go, Esme whispered, "He's waiting."

In seconds, I was standing just inside my bedroom door, my head spinning with excitement and adoration as I watched my beautiful mate sleep. He was lying on his side, hugging the pillow I usually propped on against him. His face was partially covered by wayward, sleep mussed hair. I wondered if he was dreaming it was me. No matter. I was going to remedy that right now.

Going to the bed, I carefully moved Edward just enough so I could lay next to him. He didn't want to let go of the pillow, but as my body replaced it, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pillowed his head on my chest with a soft sigh and a slight shiver from the change in temperature. Jesus, he was so incredible. How could I ever considered leaving him alone, to fare without me? Remorse swept over me in a sad wave, but I was determined to push it aside. I was back, and I wasn't leaving Edward alone ever again.

**Thank you for reading, I hope y'all liked it!**

**Till next time,**

**Penny**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hey y'all. Much thanks to my dream team, DelphiusFanfic and Corey.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoy!**

**JPOV**

Edward's heartbeat began to increase, and I knew he was close to waking. Excitement raced through me at the knowledge that, very soon, I would see those incredible eyes of his look into mine. Even though I hadn't been gone long, it felt like it had been forever. No matter now, though. He was back in my arms.

With a sigh, my mate shifted in his sleep, then startled me by sitting bolt upright. He wiped his bleary eyes and gaped at me.

"Jasper?" He questioned in a thick, low voice. "Am I dreaming? It's really you?"

I watched as he pinched himself on the arm, then threw himself on top of me, running his hands all over my chest and arms, convincing himself I was really there. After a moment, he sat up again, but didn't let go of my hand. I held onto him tightly, but not tight enough to hurt.

"I'm really here, babe," I told him with a smile. "I realized something and had to come back."

My mate's face fell at my words, but I was quick to explain. I never wanted to see him sad again.

"I'm not going anywhere ever again, Edward," I said earnestly, staring directly into his eyes, begging him to believe me. "While I was gone, what I realized was that even though I bit you, you forgave me. You thought it was sexy," I chuckled, and Edward's hand wandered to the scar I had made.

"Well...yeah," he said with a small smile.

"Not only that, Edward, you still wanted eternity with me. You truly don't care that you will be a monster like me. You love me enough to accept your fate."

Smiling softly, Edward said, "First, you're not a monster. I never saw you as one. Second, you make it sound like I am heading to my doom, when all I am doing is loving my life-mate. I wouldn't change you for anything, Jasper." He paused for a moment, running his fingers over his scar again. "As a matter of fact, I love the fact that you marked me."

He moved, settling his body as close to mine as he could, then trailed his fingers across my chest. It felt like fire, and I had missed it so fucking much.

"Talk later," my mate whispered huskily. "Kiss now."

Suddenly, Edward's open mouth was on my neck, sucking hard, as if he were trying to mark me like I did him. It felt so damn good. His closeness, scent, warmth, and love threatened to push me over the edge already. Fuck, I wanted to claim him. Within mere minutes of his ministrations on my neck and under my ear, my cock was hard and wanting. My breathing hitched with each hard suck he placed on my skin. I felt like I was drowning.

Making sure my movements were gentle, I took his face in my hands and brought my mouth to his. He nibbled and sucked my lips greedily, all the while making delicious wanton noises that sent daggers of pleasure throughout my body.

Ending our kiss, I rolled my mate onto his back and stared into his dark, desire filled eyes.

"I'm so sorry I left you. I'll never-"

He cut me off with a finger on my lips. I kissed it.

"Shut up, Jasper, and kiss me more. I want you so much right now. I need you."

He was right. We could talk later. Leaning down, I kissed and sucked his exposed scar. He groaned and arched into me, his nails digging into my back.

"Yes," he breathed. "More."

"Tell me what you want, mate," I whispered as I kissed up the side of his neck.

"Anything...everything," he panted as I carefully slid my body on top of his. He moaned at the contact and reached up to unbutton my shirt.

"What are you doing?" I whispered with a kiss to his forehead.

"Clothes. Off.", Edward breathed out, struggling to reach the buttons near the bottom of my shirt. I raised up a bit and deftly got them undone, then shrugged my shirt off of my shoulders. Edward immediately had both his hands splayed across my chest, burning me with the desire that was radiating from him and distracting me sufficiently.

Raising up on my knees, I managed to get my shirt off without tearing it to pieces, and started working on my jeans. I probably shouldn't have been getting naked with him like this, but we had been apart too long, and I couldn't help myself. I needed him just as much as he needed me at that moment.

Soon, I was bare before my mate, and he stared openly, his kiss reddened lips slightly open.

Smirking, I said, "Your turn."

Edward sat up and raised his arms, gesturing for me to rid him of his shirt. I did so willingly, leaving kisses all along his skin as I exposed it. He shivered slightly, but his skin was smooth and warm under my lips and tongue. Nimble, elegant fingers threaded through my hair, holding it back from my face as my mate watched what I was doing.

I threw Edward's shirt to the floor and gently pushed him back down on his back. He breathed heavily as I pulled his, well my, sleep pants down over his narrow hips and long legs. Sitting back once more, I gazed at my lover's exquisite form.

Slowly, gently, I ghosted my fingertips down his chest and belly, earning a gasp and light moan.

"Jasper..." he pleaded, "...don't tease."

I wasn't aware of how good his naked skin would feel against mine as I once again lowered myself onto him. We both gasped and Edward arched into me at the sudden sensation of cold meeting hot. Maneuvering my arms under him and around his neck, I rested my cheek against his with my eyes tightly closed, breathing him in. This was a first, for both of us. Edward's erection was pressed against mine, and it felt incredible.

Soft hands caressed my back. "Jay, are you alright?"

"More than alright, Edward. Just...give me a minute."

"Take your time, love," he replied in a soft soothing voice.

When I was sure I could control myself, I moved one of my thighs in between his, causing us to be as close as possible without me actually being inside of him. Oh God, I wanted to be! The monster inside was screaming to be allowed that privilege, but I managed to resist, only just. One simple move and I could claim him like I had been wanting to for so long. For his sake, and mine, I would do things right.

Edward moved his hands from my back to my hair, trying to help me keep sane in our compromising position. Slowly, I raised my head to look at him. He was staring at me through heavy lidded eyes, dark and sensual.

"You're amazing," he whispered. "I know you're not going to bite me again, as much as you want to. Kiss me."

Our mouths met in a slow kiss that intensified quickly. I wasn't sure if my mate knew he was doing it, but he had started to wiggle and roll his hips under mine, giving both of us delicious friction.

Edward pulled away from the kiss first, panting in my ear, but not halting his movements. "Oh my God, Jasper. This is...you are...holy shit."

Chuckling, I kissed him again and started a rhythm against his hips with my own. He whined into my mouth and hitched one of his legs over my hip. His harsh breaths and tiny whimpers were loud in my ears, making me want more.

Moving my lower half against his with slow, firm strokes, I busied my mouth on his ear and neck, whispering words of love, apologies, and promises to him. He seemed to be lost in the sensations we were experiencing, holding on to my shoulders so hard, his fingertips were white. He made the most beautiful noises as his pleasure mounted, and each one lit a fire deep inside my soul. I was pleasing my mate; there was nothing in the world better than that.

Soon, our movements became more frantic, The need to come was getting stronger and stronger, and Edward and I worked together flawlessly to make it happen. We were rocking hard against each other, with roaming hands and mouth, completely oblivious to anything going on around us.

Edward made a loud keening noise from the back of his throat, and I felt wetness spread between us. Knowing I had brought him to orgasm triggered my own, and I once again buried my face in his neck as I, too, spilled between us. We were a shaking, panting mess by the time both of us were finished, and I continued to hold Edward against me while we calmed down. That had been the most intense experience of my life, to date.

"Jay?" Edward said in a tiny voice, right next to my ear. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know the words to describe exactly how I feel at the moment, Edward, but it is definitely better than okay," I answered.

With a shaky laugh, my mate kissed my temple and I raised myself off of him. Our torsos slid wetly against each other, and Edward made a face.

Chuckling, I moved off of him, took the shirt I was wearing off of the floor, and wiped both of us off. "Better?" I asked as I pulled on my jeans.

"Much," Edward replied, and sat up.

After pulling the blankets over his lower half, I sat next to him and he immediately wrapped his arms around my middle, resting his head in the crook of my neck.

"I am so glad you're home," he said softly. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, mate," I said, playing with the ends of his unruly hair.

"I love you, Jay."

"I love you too."

We were quiet for a moment, lost in our own thoughts, and I startled Edward by saying rather abruptly, "Come in, Rosalie."

Soundlessly, my bedroom door opened and in walked a sheepish looking Rose. "Um, if you're not busy...anymore...I would like to talk to Edward, if you don't mind, Jasper."

"Of course," I replied, wondering what the hell was going on in her mind. I would let her talk to him, but I would be listening to every word from the other side of the bedroom door.

"Just let me get dressed," Edward said, his cheeks a deep crimson.

"Oh...yeah...sorry..." Rose spluttered, then left the room.

Grinning, I handed Edward his clothes and he dressed in a hurry, choosing then to sit cross legged in the middle of the unmade bed.

"You can come back in now," Edward said, and Rose looked relieved to see that my mate was indeed dressed. She sat on the end of the bed and faced Edward.

"Do you want me to go?" I asked her, and she shook her head.

"No, stay," she answered quietly, then turned her attention back to my Edward.

"I know you've been wondering about my actions toward you, Edward, and I would like to explain myself, if you'll let me," she said quietly.

Edward glanced from Rose to me and back to her. "Okay."

"When I was...younger, I had everything going for me," Rosalie began. "I came from a rich family, lived in a posh neighborhood, and was engaged to a wealthy man who had great promise in politics. One night, though, he and some of his friends were drunk, and they thought it would be great fun to manhandle me and do things I'd rather not say.

"Their fun got out of hand and, to make a long story short, I was left lying, almost dead, in the street. Carlisle smelled the...blood, and came to rescue me. Instead of taking me to a hospital, he chose to take me back to his and Esme's house, and change me. I never wanted that, Edward, and I was very angry with Carlisle for a long time.

"I've long since forgiven him, and have accepted my fate. I finally realized I was meant to be a vampire when I found Emmett in the woods. Even though he was still human, I felt something...a pull. We were mates before he was even turned."

She shifted a bit on the bed and stared at her hands for a moment, collecting her thoughts. I was actually standing next to the bed in awe of what she was telling my mate.

Finally, looking back at Edward, she continued, "I know you and Jasper are mates, Edward. It is obvious, even though you are still human. I guess I was jealous of you for being able to choose your fate, when I couldn't. Now, I have come to look at it as a similar situation to me and Em - you in Em's place, and Jasper in mine. I wanted Carlisle to change Emmett. I needed him to be a vampire, like me, so we could claim each other as mates and have eternity, like you and Jasper one day will.

"How can I dislike you for something that was meant to be? I guess, what I am trying to say is, you and Jasper have my blessing, and welcome to the family."

Unable to control my happiness, I whooped and hugged Rosalie, pulling her off of the bed and swinging her around. Edward sat there in shock, his expression funny as hell. His eyebrows were touching his hairline, and his mouth hung open slightly.

I sat Rose back on her feet and by that time, the rest of the family was watching us from the doorway. Rosalie went over to Edward and held out her hand. Tentatively, my mate took it and she hauled him off of the bed, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Rosalie," I heard Edward say, his voice muffled by Rose's hair.

She let go of him and smiled. "Not necessary, Edward. I just hope you and Jasper will be as happy as Em and I are."

Edward glanced in my direction, grinning. "I'm sure we will."

Walking over, I took my mate into my arms and hugged him to me. I had no idea where Rosalie had gotten the idea to say or do what she did, but I was so grateful she did. Finally, we really could be a happy family, without any stress or dislike all the time. I think the monster inside me was singing with joy at that prospect.

In true 'Brady Bunch' fashion, we all hugged each other and the happiness in the room was almost palpable. To me, it seemed like a miracle.

Esme broke up the mini celebration by asking, "Edward, dear, are you hungry?"

"Starving," he told her, and she beckoned for him to follow her.

The rest of us filed out behind them, making ourselves comfortable in the living room. Emmett and Alice pulled out the Xbox and began to play. Edward and I settled on the sofa, content to talk with Carlisle and Rosalie.

"So, Edward, what have you been up to while Jasper was away?" Carlisle asked.

"Well," he said, "when I got home from here after Jasper left, Jacob was at the house, and I went straight to my room. Bella followed me up there, and was acting concerned about why I was upset. I thought she really cared, so I told her what had happened, and she suggested I get out of the house and go to the reservation with her and Jacob."

My family and I stared at Edward in disbelief.

"Did you go?" Carlisle asked quietly.

He looked ashamed as he replied, "Yes."

Anger welled within me, but I suppressed it. How could I possibly be mad at Edward for going there when his sister was trying to help him feel better for what I had done to him?

"How was it?" I asked, and he stared at me like I had grown another head.

"You're not pissed at me because I went there?"

"I'm not happy about it, but no, I'm not pissed," I answered.

Edward smiled a little at my remark. "It was weird being there, and I don't want to go back."

"Were they mean to you?" Emmett spoke up, crossing his arms across his broad chest. He was so protective of my mate, and I loved him for it.

"No," Edward said, reassuring my bear of a brother. "It was strange because they are the complete opposite of all of you. They are loud, mostly shirtless, and their skin is dark."

Esme then walked into the room and sat a steaming plate in front of Edward. The smell made me want to be sick, but obviously my mate was pleased. He gave Esme a big smile and thanked her before eating with enthusiasm.

In my head, a war was going on. I wanted to be upset at Edward for going to the reservation - it sort of felt like a betrayal. On the other hand, he was hurting, because of me, and needed a distraction. I had brought the whole incidence on myself.

We sat in silence while Edward ate, and after finally pushing his plate back, he leaned back on the sofa and gave a contented sigh. Esme took that as a compliment, and took his dishes into the kitchen.

"What would you like to do now?" I asked, combing my fingers through his still ruffled hair.

"I don't know," he answered. "I think I need to go home soon, to let them know I'm okay. I have a few words for Bella, anyway."

I arched a brow in question.

"For making me uncomfortable yesterday. I really thought she cared about how I was feeling."

"I understand," I told him softly, and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Would you like to go now?"

"I guess so," he sighed, raising his head to look at me. "You'll call later?"

"Of course." Leaning in, I caught his mouth with mine in a sweet kiss, then stood and pulled him to his feet. "Come on."

Edward got his things together while I brought the car around, and we started on the ride toward his home.

**Hope y'all liked it! There's just one chapter left of this one, then on to the 3rd installment of the saga ;) See y'all next time!**

**Penny**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hey y'all. Well, here we are, at the end of the second installment of my twisted Twilight saga :) I hope y'all have enjoyed the ride.**

**Much thanks to DelphiusFanfic for prereading and Corey for betaing. I am so thrilled they have stuck with me and put up with my writing. :D They don't get enough credit.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**So, here we go...**

**EPOV**

Dad was raking leaves when Jasper and I pulled into the driveway. He glanced in our direction briefly then continued his work. I took that opportunity to pull Jasper to me by the back of his neck for a lengthy kiss. When we pulled apart, I gave Jasper a quick smile and got out of the car. After he drove away, I strolled across the yard to my dad.

"How's it going, son?" he asked, continuing to rake.

"Good," I replied, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Why are you doing this while it's so cold? It's just gonna snow anyway."

"Makes the yard look better," he said, and I shook my head with a smile. He was such a neat freak.

I watched in silence while Dad continued to make neat rows on the dead grass of our yard. Every time he would get a rake full of leaves, he dumped them into the wheelbarrow he had beside him. It was sort of hypnotizing to watch. Maybe this was his stress relief.

Shivering a little in the cold wind that was blowing, I decided to go into the house. Mom and Bella were sitting in the living room, watching TV, and I shrugged off my jacket and went to stand in front of the fire.

"So, he's found his way home," Mom said with a grin, and I couldn't help but return it.

"Yeah. I had a good time," I said, turning so I was facing the bright flames.

"You look better than you did yesterday," Bella commented, and I regarded her with a big smile.

"Jasper's back now."

"Oh, I didn't know he had left," Mom said, and I nodded.

"He had to go away for a day, but everything's good," I told her.

"Glad you don't have to go back to the rez?" Bella teased, and I glared at her.

"Hell yes. Those people are creepy."

Bella laughed. "Oh, they are not! You're just used to the bloodsuckers."

"Bella!" both Mom and I exclaimed.

"Well? It's the truth!" she shrugged.

"Bella, Edward doesn't belittle Jacob, so don't belittle Jasper," Mom told her sternly.

"Whatever," my sister said flippantly, tossing her hair over her shoulder and standing up. "I have to go get ready. Jake's coming to get me and I'm gonna go watch him build his bike."

She strode out of the room and headed up the stairs. I rolled my eyes at Mom, who rolled hers right back.

"I swear, you teenagers are difficult," she said, and I nodded, grinning.

"That's our job, Mom."

"Are you leaving again?"

"Not today, no," I answered, moving away from the fire to go into the kitchen for a soda. Mom followed me and leaned against the doorframe, quiet.

"What's wrong, Mom?" I asked. "I know that look."

"You kids are just...growing up," she said sadly, and I sat my soda on the counter and hugged her hard.

"Mom, we're still your kids, and even though we'll be graduating and going off on our own, we're not gonna forget that you're our mom. We love you and Dad, and always will, and we're gonna visit you often. I promise."

Mom let me go and wiped at her eyes.

"I know, son," she said. "It's just hard."

"I know it must be. Remember, I've been with you for 18 years." Chuckling, I winked at her and grabbed my soda. She smiled through her tears at me and swatted me on the ass as I passed by her.

"Love ya, Mom!" I called as I climbed the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah..." I heard her quiet reply, and grinned to myself.

"Bella, where are you?" I asked loudly once I reached the landing.

"Bathroom! Door's open!" she answered, and I went to the door, glaring at her as she put on lipstick.

"What was that shit downstairs?" I demanded.

"What shit?" she asked, trying to convince me she was innocent.

"That crap about Jasper," I answered firmly. "Mom was right, you know. I don't talk bad about Jacob, so why do you do it to me?"

"Because, brother, we all know that the wolves are the better people. They are only wolves because of the threat of vampires," she said with an air of arrogance to her tone.

"You know, the Cullens work very hard to keep their diet of animals. Not all of them are monsters, like you might think," I retorted.

"Doesn't matter. They exist. That's all it takes for the wolf gene to be present. And besides," she continued, giving me an appraising look, "I don't see what is so great about cuddling something cold like they are. I prefer warm skin and soft fur."

Oh my God, she was gonna make me throw up. Gross.

A car horn from outside stopped me from replying, and Bella darted past me and out of the bathroom.

"That's my ride! See ya later, Edward!" she crowed.

Bitch.

I went to my room and sat my soda on the edge of my desk, then looked over my bookshelf to see if I could find anything to read. Before I had time to choose anything, Bella screeched my name from the living room.

Sighing in frustration, I trudged downstairs to see what she wanted. When I walked into the living room, I was shocked to see that Paul was there with Jacob.

"Hey, Edward," Jacob said, uncharastically kindly. "Paul asked to come with me to pick Bella up because he wanted to talk to you."

I stared at the two of them, unsure what to say.

"Is it alright if we go outside to talk?" Paul asked, his voice hopeful.

With the mood I was in, I was fully prepared to set this guy straight that I was definitely not into him being so weird with me, so I agreed and followed him outside to the tree where my dad had been raking. He was nowhere to be found at the moment.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"It's no secret that I'm interested in you, Edward," Paul said in a soft voice.

"I kind of figured that, but you know - "

"About Jasper, yes." He stepped closer, and I stepped backwards to try to keep the distance between us.

"You are mated to a vampire," Paul said sadly. "What a shame."

He took another step and I was backed up against the tree. Panic rose within me. What the hell was he going to do? Oh God, I hoped with everything in me that this wasn't going to be a repeat of what happened with James and Laurent.

"I did a lot of thinking," he continued, moving his body closer to me. I could feel the heat coming off of him, "and I have to try..."

Faster than I thought he could, considering his bulk, he pinned me to the tree with his hands on my upper arms, and pressed his mouth to mine. Immediately, I tried to squirm away, but he was just too strong for me to fight off.

I tried to move my head from side to side, to get away from his nasty hot mouth, but he followed my every move, trying to get me to let him in. In desperation, I brought my knee up to try to hit him in the balls, but he was too fast and dodged my attack.

Thankfully, someone pulled him off of me. I leaned over with my hands on my knees, and took the chance to get some much needed air. Jacob and Bella must have come outside.

Someone grabbed me by the arm and pulled me across the yard and behind the house. The hand holding me was cold and small. Alice. How did she get here? I was so confused.

When I finally had my wits about me, I saw that the big oak in the backyard was broken, and the grass looked like someone had been spinning it up with a four wheeler. Then I knew what had happened. Alice saw something and told Jasper. Bella was standing at the edge of the forest, looking like she was going to cry, and a rather wide path had been made through the trees, leaving the ground muddy and trees broken.

"Come on, Alice!" I yelled, and sprinted toward the forest. She flung me onto her back and in the blink of an eye, we were in my meadow.

Hopping off of Alice, I strode toward Paul, Jacob, Jasper, and...Emmett? He must have been with them. The four were pacing around each other, growling, just waiting for someone to make a move. I could see Jasper shaking with rage.

Alice yelled for me not to get in the middle of them, but here wasn't the place. Jasper was set on murder and I didn't want it to happen practically in my backyard, and especially not in the meadow. I had such good memories of the place.

Jasper didn't even realize I was there until I stood in front of him and yelled his name. His black eyes darted from me to Paul and Jacob.

"Get out of here, mate!" he spat, growling ferociously.

"No, Jasper, not here, please," I begged.

I was terrified, and knew the danger I was in by getting in the middle of them, but I knew Carlisle needed to be consulted. As mad as Jasper was at Paul, he needed to think before he reacted. I was so scared that if he didn't, he would kill Paul and then there would be an all out war.

Jasper was a sight to behold. He was crouched, ready to spring, with black eyes and his hair hanging wildly around his face. Bright white, deadly teeth were bared, ready to bite and tear and rip. He never looked so dangerous.

"If you don't want Paul to die, Jacob, I suggest you and Bella get him out of here and back to the reservation, where you belong," I said, keeping my eyes on Jasper, who was shaking, barely able to restrain himself.

Luckily, Jacob hauled Paul out of the meadow, back toward the house. Paul was trying to get away from him, but Jacob managed to get him away.

Jasper, Emmett, Alice, nor I moved a muscle until the sound of Jacob's car leaving could be heard. When I couldn't hear it anymore, I gathered all the courage I could and stepped closer to my boyfriend.

"Hey," I said quietly, "look at me." Raising a shaky hand, I touched Jasper's face. His still dark eyes flicked from where the wolves had been standing to me.

"They're gone now," I said in what I hoped was a soothing voice. "I'm okay, Jay. Stand up and calm down, please."

Alice and Emmett moved closer to us as Jasper straightened up from his crouch.

"Are you in control?" I asked, making sure to keep my voice low and soft.

"I would never hurt you, Edward," Jasper replied. Trusting that he was in his right mind again, I very slowly wound my arms around his waist and laid my face on his chest.

His movements were deliberately slow and careful as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me close. I stood stock still while he buried his face in my hair and breathed in deeply.

"Mine," he said, loud enough for Emmett and Alice to hear, and I nodded against him.

"Yes, Jay. I'm yours. Only yours," I whispered.

"He touched you. He _kissed_ you," Jasper said vehemently against my hair. "He _will_ die for touching my mate."

Raising my head to look at him, I said, "Jay, look at me. Look around. We're in our meadow, love. Just you and me. I don't want reminders of him to spoil it." Without looking away from Jasper, I continued, "Alice, call Carlisle and Esme and ask them to come. Me and Jay are just gonna talk and cuddle until they get here, okay?"

"Okay," she chirped. "You two are going to be fine, Jasper. I know you're worried."

Then she giggled. "Come on, Em," she said. "They're about to do something we don't want to see."

"That's my cue," Emmett replied, and he and Alice walked into the woods. I knew they would stay close, just in case.

Jasper was staring at me like he would never see me again. His dark eyes showed his desire and possessiveness, and it made me shiver. I knew what he was thinking, and I think he knew I knew.

"Mine," Jasper growled lowly, and I moved my hands to cup his face.

"All yours," I whispered, just as our mouths met. This kiss was so different than all of the ones before combined. It spoke of Jasper's desire to claim me, and I him. He knew he couldn't claim me in the way he wanted, so he made up for it with his lips and tongue.

I, of course, was an eager recipient, giving as much as taking. By the time Jasper's mouth left mine, I was almost gasping for air and he had me up against a tree.

"Do you have any idea how much I want to strip you bare and claim you right here in these woods, mate?" he hissed against my ear.

"Yes," I breathed. "Just as much as I want to do the same to you. Mine, Jasper," I whispered as I bit his neck. "You're mine."

"Oh, God, you're not making this any easier," my boyfriend panted.

Chuckling against him, I asked, "Are you okay?"

"I won't be until I teach that _dog_ that you do not mess with another man's mate, Edward," he half said, half snarled at me.

"Listen Jay," I said, stroking his face. "I'm here where I belong, in your arms, and safe."

"I know...you don't - "

"Understand? Yes, I do, but before you rush off to kick ass in a blind rage, we need to talk to Carlisle."

Holding Jasper's head still so he couldn't look away, I stared into his still dark eyes. Moments felt like hours until, finally, he nodded.

"I know," he conceded.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him close and he pulled me away from the tree just enough to hold me against him. I was freezing, having gone out without a jacket, but calming Jasper was the first thing on my mind.

We stood there silently, with Jasper's face in my neck as he breathed my scent. The cold puffs of his breath wafted over the back of my neck, and I fought hard not to tremble. Soon, thankfully, Emmett and Alice walked back into the meadow with Carlisle and Esme in tow. They reached us in seconds.

"Jasper," Carlisle said quietly, and he held me tighter.

"It's alright, Jay. Talk to Carlisle. I'm not going anywhere," I reassured him, and he reluctantly let me go. Esme was at my side immediately.

"Oh, Edward, you're freezing. Do you think your parents would mind if we went inside to talk?" she asked.

"They won't mind," I answered as I started shivering. I just couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Let's go," Carlisle said.

Once inside the house, I sat next to the fire, trying to get my shaking to stop. All of it wasn't just from the cold, either. I had purposefully stood in the path of danger to help Jasper. Only now, I realized how stupid that was. I could have been ripped to pieces. Would I do it again, though? Hell yes.

Alice and Emmett filled my parents in on what had happened while Carlisle and Esme spoke to Jasper. My poor mom looked so worried, and I felt bad for her. She would be alright, though. She was strong. Dad just listened to Jasper's brother and sister with a slight frown on his face.

"So, you are going to talk to the leader of these wolves?" he asked.

"Yes," Emmett answered.

"Isn't that dangerous for you?"

"No, as long as we stay on our side of the line."

He was quiet for a moment, thinking, then said, "I want to go too."

"What?" I stood up. "Dad, I don't think that's a good idea. They might think you're a threat or something, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"You are my son, Edward, and I care about what happens to you, even if you are with Jasper," he tried to reason with me.

"I know," I argued. "And you are my dad, and I care what happens to you."

He deflated a bit then, and went back to thinking. Finally, he asked, "Is there no other way to resolve this?"

"If I hadn't been interrupted earlier, Paul would be dead and this would be over already," Jasper said.

"And have all of the wolves come after you for killing one of them? I don't think so, Jasper," I said. "It's best if we all go talk to Sam and let him deal with his own kind."

"What does that say about me - a vampire not standing up for and protecting his mate? I won't be laughed at, Edward."

"You won't be! I bet Sam will be happy you didn't kill Paul. By going to them like this, we are preventing a war."

Jasper looked pained. I knew it was a hit on his masculinity, not fighting for me, but none of us wanted to fight. If there was a way to keep peace between the vampires and wolves, we all wanted it. Deep down, I think Jasper did too. It was his pride that was suffering.

"We're wasting time," Carlisle spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him.

"I want to go," Dad said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Carlisle cut me off.

"He is your father, Edward, and has the right to come with us if he wants."

Sighing, I said, "Fine," and went to go get my jacket. Jasper followed me.

"Your dad will be safe with us," he said quietly.

"I know he will. It's just that I didn't want him to get involved in all of this, you know?"

"Yes, I know, and it is my fault. I'm sorry."

I threw him an incredulous look. "How is it your fault? You were just doing what was in your nature. No one blames you for that."

Jasper hugged me briefly as the rest of our families gathered around.

"Edward, will you call Bella and tell her that we will be waiting for Sam and the pack at the border in five minutes?" Alice asked, and I nodded.

After the call was made, I let everyone know that they would be waiting, and we left. The tension was thick in Carlisle's Mercedes - each one of us were lost in our own thoughts. I probably should have been terrified, but i wasn't. It's not like I was the one who did anything wrong.

The minutes felt like hours, and we finally pulled off on the side of the road. It was strange, seeing all of the guys from the reservation standing there on the road, like an invisible line had been drawn across the asphalt. I could see Paul, and he looked indifferent, like what was happening wasn't even phasing him.

We got out of our cars and Jasper held on to me while my dad walked on my other side. Mom hung back with Alice, Rosalie, and Esme. Of course, Carlisle was in the lead, with Emmett at his side.

"Why have you brought us here, Cullen?" Sam asked in an authoritative voice.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "One of your pack members have had an...altercation with my son Jasper," he said.

"Is that so?" Sam asked. "I have heard no such thing."

"Of course you wouldn't know of it," Jasper growled, stepping forward. "One of your boys went after my mate!" Again, I could see that he was holding himself back, and Carlisle put a calming hand on Jasper's arm.

Sam was shocked. "What? That can't possibly be true."

"It's true," Jasper said. "I saw it myself."

"Which boy?"

"Paul," Jasper spat rudely. "He is lucky I didn't tear him apart. The only reason I didn't was because my mate asked me to bring it to your attention before doing anything...violent."

"You have a smart mate," Sam said. "I have no desire to fight with your coven. We have been living peacefully for a long time now, and I'd like to continue to do so."

"Then curb your dog!" Jasper yelled, and in a split second, Paul had jumped and phased in midair, landing in front of Sam. He was showing his teeth and growling menacingly, daring Jasper to fight. I think the only thing saving his life was the fact that he was still behind the treaty line. I didn't want to think of what would happen if he crossed it.

"Paul!" Sam snapped. "Get back behind me! NOW!"

Immediately, Paul's tail went between his legs and he slunk off behind his alpha, ashamed. Sam faced him.

"So this is true, then. You went after another man's mate. You know better. If it had been one of our imprints you had gone after, we would be burying your body already. You should consider yourself lucky that the Cullens, especially Jasper, didn't rip you apart! If it were me, I would have, with no hesitation."

He turned back to Carlisle. "Please accept my sincerest apologies for Paul's actions. I swear it to you it will never happen again, and he will be severely punished. Like I said before, I don't want to break the treaty."

Carlisle nodded in acquiescence.

"And you, young man," Sam said to Jasper. "Thank you for coming to tell us about this instead of ending Paul's life. I know, if it had been me, I couldn't say I would have had the same willpower as you. Your mate is safe from my people, I guarantee it."

"Thank you," Jasper said quietly, pulling me closer. "I will give your people this warning, however. If any one of them tries this again, I won't come to tell you. I will deliver his or her bloody, broken body at your doorstep. That is a promise."

Sam nodded slowly. "Alright. Our business is done."

The pack slowly dispersed, talking amongst themselves, Sam making sure Paul was beside him. I had a feeling he was in for a bad time when they got back. Good, because I didn't want to have to worry about him anymore.

Dad wandered over to me, Jasper, and Carlisle, his arm around Mom's shoulders. "So, that was your kind of politics?"

Carlisle chuckled. "Yes, I guess so. It has worked for a long time now."

"I like it," Dad smiled. "You have a good family, Carlisle, and I am glad to know all of you. I don't think my son could possibly be in better hands than he is right now."

"Thank you, Edward. That means a lot to us."

"Are you guys coming back to our house?"

"No, I think we will go home from here, since this seems to be settled. If it is alright, though, I would like for Jasper to stay with Edward tonight, just to be sure."

"Of course he can," Dad said. "We're happy to have him."

With a shake of hands, Mom, Dad, Jasper, and I went to Dad's SUV while the rest of the Cullens headed to Carlisle's car. I was surprised. Jasper had never stayed over before. This promised to be interesting, at least.

Later, when I was ready for bed, I got under the blankets and Jasper settled beside me. Laying on my side, I stared at him, still surprised that he was actually spending the night with me, in my room. Yeah, the warnings to use a condom and all that shit from the parents was embarrassing, but Jasper took it with pride and grace. I was an embarrassed mess, which Bella and Jasper thought was funny. Oh well. it didn't matter. The threat of Paul was gone, Jasper was back from Alaska, and that was all I needed.

**I really hope y'all liked my adaptation of the second story in the Twi saga. Stay tuned for the third installment, which I'm already working on. It's called Blush of the Sun :D**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Penny**


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